Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will fight against any efforts to impose sanctions on Israeli military units, amid reports that an Israel Defense Forces battalion is facing US sanctions over its treatment of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

The US outlet Axios reported on Saturday that US State Department officials have confirmed they are preparing to impose sanctions on the IDF’s Netzah Yehuda battalion, which has been accused of serious human rights violations against Palestinians. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Sunday that the US was also considering similar moves against other police and military units.

The highly significant move, which would be the first time the US government has targeted an IDF unit, comes as the US Congress voted for $26bn in new emergency aid to Israel.

“If anyone thinks they can impose sanctions on a unit of the IDF – I will fight it with all my strength,” the Israeli prime minister said in a statement. “I’ve been working in recent weeks against the sanctioning of Israeli citizens, including in my conversations with the American administration,” Netanyahu wrote on X.