New Information on Hostage Agreement, Criticism of Israeli Actions in Gaza

United Nations experts say that Israel must face consequences for violating international laws and human rights by imposing 'maximum suffering' on Palestinian civilians in Gaza. On Monday, January 1, 11 UN experts issued a joint statement saying that instead of adhering to international laws and rights, Israel has repeatedly violated these laws under the 'protection of its allies,' inflicting the greatest suffering on civilians in Palestinian territories and beyond. The experts added that Israel continues to face no repercussions, and the impunity sends a 'dangerous message' to the world. According to Agence France-Presse, the group used terms such as 'crimes against humanity,' including 'murder, torture, sexual violence, and ongoing displacement, which is the forced transfer of people,' to describe Israel's actions during the ongoing war in Gaza. The group believes that actions in Gaza aimed at 'complete or partial destruction' fall under the category of 'genocide' and called for 'immediate, independent, and thorough investigations.' The authors of the statement emphasized that they are independent experts of the UN Human Rights Council and did not issue the statement on behalf of the organization. The mentioned experts, including Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, specifically pointed to the actions of the Israeli army in the northern Gaza Strip. In recent days, Israel has emphasized the 'resurgence' of armed forces of the extremist group Hamas in northern Gaza, stating that these individuals were 'hiding' in two hospitals in Beit Lahiya and Jabalia, and that several 'terrorists' involved in the October 7 attack on Israel have been neutralized. Rocket attacks from northern Gaza towards Israel resumed in recent days after about a year, which the Israeli army attributes to the 'reorganization' of some remaining Hamas militants. Israel, rejecting a heavy wave of similar accusations over the past 14 months regarding human rights violations and war crimes, claims that the UN and its experts ignore the realities, especially the violence and terrorism that the extremist group Hamas employed in its attacks on the Israeli people and in taking several Israeli citizens hostage. Israel believes that Ms. Albanese is not an expert but a 'political activist' who 'hates Israel,' and has called for her removal from the Human Rights Commission in the Palestinian territories. This week, Israel submitted a report to the World Health Organization, a UN agency, regarding 'violence, sexual assaults, and starvation of its citizens held hostage' by Hamas, adding that the UN does not pay attention to the suffering of the Israeli people. The report prepared by the Israeli government is based on 'collected evidence' from dozens of hostages who were freed from Hamas last year. This group is designated as a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States. Meanwhile, Israeli media reported on Tuesday, January 2, that Hamas is unwilling to provide a list of 34 living hostages among the 100 remaining in its custody and has stated that in the event of a new deal with Israel, it will deliver 22 living hostages along with the bodies of 12 deceased hostages to Israel. Israel insists on the delivery of 34 living hostages at this stage. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that even in the event of a deal, the Israeli army will return to war in Gaza. Hamas and Israel have accused each other of delaying the finalization of a ceasefire agreement. The Hamas attack on Israel on October 6 last year marked the beginning of the Israeli army's war in Gaza, which was further escalated by the involvement of Hezbollah from Lebanon, the Houthis from Yemen, and some Iranian-aligned militias in Iraq to support Gaza, leading to an all-out war in the region and heavy strikes by Israel against Hamas and Hezbollah. Hamas, recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, has agreed that if a hostage exchange deal is made, Israel will temporarily remain in Gaza for a while, but it still conditions the release of all hostages on the complete end of the war in Gaza and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the strip. Donald Trump, the elected president, has threatened that if the hostages are not released by the time he returns to the White House (on January 21), 'the gates of hell will be opened.' He did not provide further clarification on what he meant.