Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu says he will oppose any sanctions against army battalions

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday it would fight the imposition of sanctions against Israeli military units after media reported that Washington was planning such a measure against a battalion for alleged rights violations.

On Saturday, the Axios news site reported that Washington was considering imposing sanctions on the Israeli Netzah Yehuda battalion which operates in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli military said it was not aware of any action taken.

“If anyone thinks they can impose sanctions on an IDF (Israel Defense Forces) unit, I will fight them with all my might,” Netanyahu said in a statement.

The Israeli military has stated that the Netzah Yehuda Battalion is an active combat unit that operates according to the principles of international law.

“Following the publications on the sanctions against the battalion, the IDF is not aware of the problem. If a decision is made on this matter, it will be reviewed. The IDF is working and will continue to work to investigate any unusual events in a practical and in accordance with the law,” the military said.

(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch and Maayan Lubell; editing by Hugh Lawson)