The United States has announced an additional $3.5 billion in military aid to Israel, intended for purchasing US-made weapons and military equipment. This decision comes as the ongoing war in Gaza stretches into its tenth month, amid accusations of widespread Israeli military abuses in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The State Department disclosed the aid on Friday, revealing that it had notified Congress of the Biden administration’s plan to release these funds. This latest allocation is part of a $14.5 billion supplemental funding bill approved by Congress in April, which supplements the annual $3 billion in military aid that the US provides to Israel.
A portion of the newly released funds is set to support an Israeli military unit implicated in human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank. Despite this, the State Department has opted not to impose sanctions on the unit—a move that would have marked the first-ever restriction on aid to the Israeli military. The department expressed confidence that the Israeli authorities had effectively addressed and remedied the violations committed by this unit.
Though the US has not officially named the unit, it is widely believed to be the Netzah Yehuda battalion, which has been stationed in the West Bank. The battalion and some of its members have been linked to the abuse of Palestinian civilians, including the death of a 78-year-old Palestinian-American man following his detention by the unit in 2022.
This decision follows a determination by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who, in April, publicly acknowledged that the Israeli battalion had committed serious human rights abuses. Blinken’s findings triggered an investigation under the Leahy Law, which governs US military aid to foreign forces. Despite the findings, Blinken decided to allow aid to continue, granting Israel time to address the issues raised.
The announcement of this aid package comes amid growing international criticism of Israel’s military conduct in Gaza. The Israeli military has faced allegations of severe human rights violations, including indiscriminate attacks on civilians, torture of prisoners, and severe shortages of essential supplies for displaced Palestinians. Recent reports also include accusations against ten Israeli soldiers for the brutal gang rape of a Palestinian detainee, captured on video.
As the US continues to support Israel with substantial military aid, the situation in Gaza remains dire, with ongoing debates about the international community’s response to the conflict and its humanitarian consequences.
