In a significant diplomatic achievement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has informed Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant that the United States has decided to end the investigation into the Israel Defenses Force's "Netzah Yehuda" battalion for human rights violations in the occupied West Bank, according to two senior officials from the U.S. and Israel.

Over the past few months, Gallant has engaged in quiet talks with Blinken and other senior U.S. officials, aiming to demonstrate that the IDF has taken steps to address the human rights violations committed by members of the battalion.

A senior U.S. official has stated that while Blinken found that the battalion had indeed committed gross violations of human rights, the information provided by Israel over the last three months has shown that the IDF has taken measures to rectify the behavior of the battalion, addressing concerns raised by the U.S.

State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, confirmed this, stating, "As we made public in April, the Department of State found after a careful review that incidents of gross violations of human rights by two units of the Israeli Defense Forces and two civilian authority units had been effectively remediated."

Meanwhile, Israeli officials have expressed their concerns to the U.S. regarding potential retaliation from Hezbollah, highlighting that if the militant group were to harm Israeli civilians in response to the assassination of their top military commander, the Israel Defense Force's response would be disproportionate.

It is important to note that Israeli officials are keen to avoid an all-out war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and are currently seeking to establish clear parameters that would determine when Israel would be compelled to escalate the conflict and potentially risk a larger-scale war.

The decision by the U.S. to conclude the investigation into the "Netzah Yehuda" battalion's human rights violations has undoubtedly garnered attention and signifies a diplomatic breakthrough for Gallant. It showcases the efforts taken by both sides to address and rectify these violations, while also underscoring the delicate balance between deterrence and de-escalation in the Israeli-Hezbollah tensions.