JAKARTA - Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant defended his military firmly, as the United States plans to impose sanctions related to alleged human rights violations.
He conveyed this defense when he met the troops of the Netzah Yehuda Battalion on the border of the Gaza Strip today.
"All defense agencies, IDF and the State of Israel support you, respect you and strengthen you in your operations to protect the State of Israel," Gallant told Netzah Yehuda's troops, according to his office.
The battalion, which consists of ultra-Orthodox forces and part of the Kfir Brigade, has been operating in the Beit Hanoun area amid the war, after months on the Syrian border.
Previously, Kfir's Brigade was stationed in the West Bank, where they became the center of several controversies related to far-right extremism and violence against Palestinians.
"Mistakes and mistakes occur wherever there is military activity and that should not happen. But, fact one or two, or (some) soldiers do something wrong, this should not vilify (the whole) battalion," said Defense Minister Gallant.
He underlined, in such cases, the soldiers would be "taken care of."
"No one in this world will teach us what morality and norms are," said Defense Minister Gallant.
שֶׁלֹּא אֶחָד בִּלְבָד עָמַד עָלֵינוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנוּ⁰אֶלָּא שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר עוֹמְדִים עָלֵינוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנוּ.את ההכנות לערב החג בחרתי לעשות עם מפקדי ולוחמי צה״ל שסוגרים את החג בגבול רצועת עזה. pic.twitter.com/dWLvM6kBR3
— יואב גלנט - Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant) April 22, 2024
Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week said he had made a decision on whether to cut funds for certain Israeli security units regarding reports of human rights abuses before October 7.
He did not name the Netzah Yehuda Battalion. On Monday, Foreign Minister Blinken said "in the next few days, we will convey more, so please look forward to it."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sharply criticized the United States Government's plans under President Joe Biden regarding plans to impose sanctions on one of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), for alleged human rights abuses in the occupied West Bank.
The alleged violation occurred before Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7 and is said to have involved members of the Netzah Yehuda Battalion in the occupied West Bank.
"Sanctions should not be imposed on the Israel Defense Forces!" he wrote on X, quoted by CNN.
"While our army is battling terror monsters, the intention to impose sanctions on a unit in the IDF is the pinnacle of low moral and moral absurdity," Netanyahu continued.
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He stated that he and his government would "act at all costs" to counter US efforts to impose sanctions on Israeli citizens.
Israeli media reported that Washington had investigated a number of Israeli military units for alleged human rights violations over the past year.
A US source said the sanctions would prohibit Israel from disbursing military aid funds from the US to help the Netzah Yehuda Battalion buy weapons. However, Israel certainly still has other sources of funding beyond US aid to finance the battalion, the US source said.
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