Israel-Hamas war: What happened on day 171?

Released Gaza Hostage Amit Soussana gave her personal testimony of the sexual violence and physical abuse she endured in Hamas captivity during an eight-hour interview with the New York Times, which was published on Tuesday.

This makes Amit Soussana the first released hostage to give a direct testimony of sexual atrocities committed by Hamas.

Soussana previously made headlines when a video surfaced of the moment of her capture, where she fought off seven Hamas terrorists before being brought to Gaza, where she remained in captivity for 54 days.

Recently released hostage Amit Soussana's remarkable courage shines in a new video on N12. The footage vividly captures her brave stand against seven terrorists, as she adamantly refuses to be taken hostage. Read more: https://t.co/JjmY2ohHHZ pic.twitter.com/wVdimQETbj

— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) December 5, 2023

In the interview, Soussanna recalled being held hostage in a child's bedroom in Gaza with a chain attached to her left ankle. She said that occasionally, the Hamas terrorist in charge of guarding her, whom she named Muhammad, would sit beside her on the bed, lift up her shirt, and grope her.

Demonstrators gather during a protest the crimes and sexual violence against women in October 7 massacre, outside of United Nations headquarters in New York City, on December 4, 2023. (credit: YAKOV BINYAMIN/FLASH 90)

Uriel Baruch, one of the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, has been killed and his body is still being held by Hamas, the Tikva Forum, a group of relatives of the hostages, said Tuesday evening.

Baruch leaves behind his wife and two children, as well as his parents and three siblings. He was kidnapped from the area near the Nova music festival on October 7.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro made a post on X, saying, "If Israel doesn't comply with the United Nations ceasefire resolution, we will break diplomatic ties with Israel," on Tuesday.

Si Israel no cumple la resolución de Naciones Unidas de Cese al Fuego rompemos relaciones diplomáticas con Israel.

— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) March 26, 2024

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded to the Colombian President's post, saying, "The support of the President of Colombia for the Hamas killers who committed massacres and horrific sexual crimes against babies, women, and adults is a disgrace to the Colombian people. Israel will continue to protect its citizens and will not submit to any external pressures or threats,"

תמיכת נשיא קולומביה @petrogustavo ברוצחי החמאס שביצעו מעשי טבח ופשעי מין נוראים בתינוקות, נשים ומבוגרים היא חרפה לעם הקולומביאני.
ישראל תמשיך להגן על אזרחיה ולא תיכנע לשום לחצים ואיומים.

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) March 26, 2024

Families of the hostages being held by Hamas clashed with MKs in the Knesset House Committee on Tuesday after the committee voted to allow the Knesset to go on recess.

“I'm not disrespecting everything you’re doing, but why is it so urgent for you to go on recess? You are voting over our heads,” said Hen Avigdori, whose family was kidnapped by Hamas and released in November. Avigdori’s niece’s husband is still being held hostage.

עימות בוועדת הכנסת לאחר ההצבעה לאישור הפגרה במלואה
חן אביגדורי: "כל אחד מחברי הכנסת שהרים את ידו - אני הולך לבדוק טוב טוב מה הוא עושה"
ח"כ פינדרוס: "יאללה יאללה"
חן אביגדורי: "יאללה יאללה תגיד לאמא שלך"@Avigdorii@bringhomenow@BringThemHome23 pic.twitter.com/1c5ZzGerO1

— ערוץ כנסת (@KnessetT) March 26, 2024

As the committee voted to go on recess, the families of the hostages shouted, “Simply disconnected from reality! Shame! Shame!”

“The soldiers don't have a recess, the hostages? They don't have a recess...And you? The Knesset members who represent us and what is most important to you now is your recess. Vacation,” shouted Avigdori.

The United States on Tuesday imposed counter-terrorism sanctions on what it described as finance and trade facilitators for Yemen's Houthis, Iran's Quds Force, and the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.

The US Treasury Department said in a statement that the sanctions target six entities, one individual, and two tankers based or registered in Liberia, India, Vietnam, Lebanon, and Kuwait and that have engaged in facilitating commodity shipments and financial transactions.

"We will continue to use the tools at our disposal to target those who ship illicit cargo to benefit terrorist groups," US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.

Separately, the Treasury Department also imposed sanctions on 11 individuals and entities for supporting Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad's regime through "the facilitation of illicit financial transfers and trafficking of illegal drugs," the department said.

The IDF's particular intelligence unit for interrogations, Unit 504, on Tuesday published initial findings and recordings of questioning terrorists, in which they admit to their terror groups abusing Shifa Hospital, by using it as a terror command center.

🔴WATCH: Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives reveal firsthand that "between 600 to 1,000" Hamas operatives are hiding in the Shifa hospital.

Hear the disclosed details on the deeply embedded terrorist infrastructure within the hospital for yourselves: pic.twitter.com/Mqa8eKcp65

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 26, 2024

The terrorists, some from Hamas and some from Islamic Jihad, admit that there were between 600 to 1,000 of their fighters utilizing Shifa as a center for managing fighting the IDF as well as hiding from IDF patrol sweeps for terrorists.

Islamic Jihad terrorist Nabil Regev Abd Ishtivi said, "The fighters are in every building, spread out in every area" of the sprawling hospital complex.

He also said that he had been at Shifa for three months.

This would mean that around a month or less after the IDF took over and left Shifa the first time in mid-November, it was already back in the hands of terrorists.

The head of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, and the secretary-general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist movement, Ziyad al-Nakhala, arrived in Tehran on Tuesday to meet with Iranian leaders, a day after the UN Security Council approved a resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.

Haniyeh met with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to discuss “developments related to the ongoing war on Gaza and all the variables related to the Palestinian issue,” according to a statement by Hamas.

Haniyeh celebrated the UN Security Council resolution approved on Monday, saying during a press conference with Iran’s foreign minister that this “indicates the unprecedented political isolation experienced by the Israeli occupation.”

The Hamas leader neglected to mention the resolution’s demand that his movement “immediately and unconditionally” release the Israeli hostages it kidnapped during the October 7th massacre.

Haniyeh added that Israel had “failed to achieve its political and military goals” in Gaza, saying, “We are going through a historical stage and a fateful turning point in the context of the historical conflict with the Zionist entity in the Battle of Al-Aqsa Flood (Hamas’s name for the October 7 massacre).”

Rep. Jamaal Bowman said in November that the beheading of Israeli babies and rape of Israeli women during the October 7 massacre was propaganda and lies in a video discovered by Politico on Tuesday.

In a TikTok video posted by former Westchester County Board of Legislators Legislative Assistant Amy Vele, Bowman participated in a November Pro-Palestinian protest calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas War. Bowman addressed the crowd and made several controversial statements.

"There was propaganda used at the beginning of the siege, there's still no evidence of beheaded babies or raped women, but they still keep using that lie," said Bowman.

Politico asked Bowman if he still held these beliefs, to which the congressman reportedly responded that "The UN confirmed that Hamas committed rape and sexual violence, a reprehensible fact that I condemn entirely. I also voted yes on Resolution 966, which officially condemns the rape and sexual violence committed by Hamas. So let me be clear and ensure my words are not twisted: I always stand against sexual violence in all forms and stand for peace for all.”

According to a new survey published by the Israeli Democracy Institute (IDI) on Tuesday, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi holds the highest rating among other Israeli officials regarding positive performance in the eyes of the Israeli public amid the ongoing war.

According to the survey, Chief of Staff Halevi topped the rankings with an approval rating of 48%, with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant following in second place with an approval rating of 40%.

Minister-without-portfolio Benny Gantz ranked in the middle of the pack, with 34%, still polling higher than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who only received 28% of public approval for his performance.

This slightly improved from the Prime minister's rating in November, when he only received 26.5%. However, 57% of respondents ranked the prime minister as "poor" or "very poor."

The survey stated that Chief of Staff Halevi maintained his lead in ranking across the political Left, Center, and Right. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also received a consistent ranking along the political spectrum, ranking last place in all three.

Respondents were asked what grade they would give each Israeli official based on their performance since October 7. (credit: ISRAEL DEMOCRACY INSTITUTE)

Citing statements by US and Israeli officials that they will continue operations in Gaza, Russian representative Vasily Nebenzya asked on Tuesday if the US considers itself bound to the UN charter, saying it has given Israel carte blanche to ignore Monday's ceasefire resolution.

"With the blessing of the US, Israel now, despite a direct demand from the Security Council, has complete carte blanche and is not planning to stop till it razes Gaza to the ground," said Nebenzya at the UNSC meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

"If the US no longer considers itself bound by the charter and is encouraging Israel to act the same, there is "no point to our discussions [in the Security Council]," he said.

China levied similar criticism against the US, saying that council resolutions are binding "beyond any doubt or challenge." China also urged Israel to cease military operations and "collective punishment" in Gaza.