Israel ‘must finish job in Gaza as fast as possible’, Netanyahu tells the UN, as dozens of delegates walk out in protest
In his speech to the United Nations general assembly in New York, Netanyahu said that “Israel must finish the job in Gaza as fast as possible”.
He said the “final remnants of Hamas are holed up in Gaza City”.
Speaking to the Israeli hostages remaining in Gaza, via loudspeakers facing towards the territory, Netanyahu said he would not rest until all the hostages are brought home. To Hamas, he said:
Lay down your arms. Free all [the] hostages now … If you do, you will live. If you don’t Israel will hunt you down.
Before he started speaking, dozens of delegates in the hall walked out. There were boos and cheers.
Key events
Jason Burke
Israeli military loudspeaker systems have broadcast Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to the UN into Gaza in an unprecedented operation that immediately prompted controversy and outrage.
In a statement on Friday, an Israeli government spokesperson said: “As part of the public diplomacy effort, the prime minister’s office has directed civilian elements, in cooperation with the [Israel Defense Forces], to place loudspeakers on the backs of trucks on the Israeli side of the Gaza border so that prime minister Netanyahu’s historic UN general assembly speech will be heard in the Gaza Strip.”
In addition to the speaker systems, Netanyahu’s office claimed that the Israeli military had taken control of the telephones of Gaza residents “and Hamas members” to broadcast the speech – though there was no evidence from within the devastated Palestinian territory this actually took place.
“The prime minister has appealed to the residents of Gaza and made it clear that the war could end immediately upon the return of the hostages, the disarming of Hamas and the demilitarisation of the Strip … [and] stressed that whoever does so will live while those who do not will be hunted,” the government statement said.
The world must not allow Iran to rebuild its nuclear and military programmes, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday, a day before the United Nations is set to reimpose sanctions on Tehran.
All UN sanctions on Iran are due to be reimposed at 8pm EDT on Saturday after European powers, known as the E3, triggered a 30-day process accusing Tehran of violating a 2015 deal meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon, Reuters reported.
Diplomats say a Russian-Chinese proposal to delay sanctions for six months was unlikely to pass when the UN security council votes on Friday, after last-ditch talks between Iran and Britain, France and Germany failed to break a deadlock.
“We removed an existential threat to Iran, to Israel, rather, and a mortal threat to the civilised world. We lifted a dark cloud that could have claimed millions and millions of lives, but ladies and gentlemen, we must remain vigilant,” Netanyahu told the UN general assembly, referring to Israeli and US bombings of Iran’s nuclear installations in June.
“We must not allow Iran to rebuild its military nuclear capacities, Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. These stockpiles must be eliminated, and tomorrow, UN security council sanctions on Iran must be snapped back,” he said.
In an “unprecedented operation”, Netanyahu’s office said the Israeli army would take over the mobile phones of Gaza residents and Hamas operatives and his speech would be broadcast live through the mobile devices.
It was not immediately clear if this happened, or to what extent, Reuters reported.
“Much of the world no longer remembers October 7. But we remember,” Netanyahu said during his address.
Speaking in Hebrew, the Israeli leader directed his remarks to the hostages still held in Gaza: “We’ve not forgotten you – not even for a second.”
Near the start of his speech, Netanyahu said he had loudspeakers placed at the Israeli side of the Gaza border to broadcast the address into the Palestinian territory in hopes that hostages held there would hear his vow that they would not be forgotten.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu sharply denounced Western countries on Friday for embracing Palestinian statehood, accusing them of sending the message that “murdering Jews pays off.”
Speaking at the UN general assembly, the Israeli leader pushed back in his harshest terms yet against a flurry of diplomatic moves by leading U.S. allies that deepened Israel’s international isolation over its conduct of a nearly two-year-old war against Hamas militants in Gaza.
“This week, the leaders of France, Britain, Australia, Canada and other countries unconditionally recognised a Palestinian state. They did so after the horrors committed by Hamas on 7 October – horrors praised on that day by nearly 90% of the Palestinian population.”
“You know what message the leaders who recognise the Palestinian state this week sent to the Palestinians?” Netanyahu said. “It’s a very clear message: murdering Jews pays off.”
Residents say conditions are getting worse. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced by the latest offensive, though others have stayed put despite Israeli evacuation orders, citing fears about security and hunger if they move.
“The situation is becoming more difficult,” said Um Zaki, a mother of five who has stayed in Sabra, Gaza City, describing rising food prices and increasing scarcity. “People who sell things like food …have left to the south,” she said.
Ismail Zayda, a 40-year-old with a week-old baby girl and two young boys displaced from Gaza City to a camp near the coast, said he was making ends meet with canned supplies.
“There are no vegetables at all,” he said.
Gaza City municipality says it also faces a worsening water crisis, with supplies meeting less than 25% of daily needs. Fuel shortages and security risks have curtailed water deliveries, Reuters reported.
Israel says there is no quantitative limit on food aid entering Gaza and accuses Hamas, which it has been at war with for nearly two years, of stealing aid – accusations the Palestinian militant group denies.
Cogat, the arm of the Israeli military that oversees aid flows into the territory, said humanitarian aid to the northern Gaza Strip continues and that it seeks to expand the capacity of Kissufim crossing into central Gaza threefold.
Trump claims Gaza deal near and hostages could soon be freed
US president Donald Trump said on Friday that he is close to a deal to end the war in Gaza and bring hostages home, according to Reuters.
Trump made the comments to reporters before departing the White House to attend the Ryder Cup golf tournament in New York.
As Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyhu took the stand at the United Nations general assembly on Friday in New York, scores of delegates walked out of the hall amid boos and cheers.
Netanyahu rebukes Western nations from UN stage for embracing Palestinian statehood
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu sharply denounced western countries on Friday for embracing Palestinian statehood and accused them of buckling under pressure from activists and others who have accused Israel of war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza.
Speaking at the United Nations general assembly, the Israeli leader pushed back in harsh terms against a flurry of diplomatic moves by leading US allies that deepened Israel’s international isolation over its conduct of the nearly two-year-old war against Hamas militants in Gaza.
Netanyahu said:
This week, the leaders of France, Britain, Australia, Canada and other countries unconditionally recognised a Palestinian state. They did so after the horrors committed by Hamas on 7 October – horrors praised on that day by nearly 90% of the Palestinian population.
With more countries joining the list of those endorsing Palestinian independence, the most right-wing government in Israeli history has made its strongest declaration yet that there will be no Palestinian state.
Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has accused world leaders of “appeasing evil” rather than supporting Israel. He claimed that “many leaders who publicly condemn Israel, thank us behind closed doors”.
Addressing the United Nations general assembly in New York, Netanyhu claimed Israel were applying more measures to minimize civilian casualties than any military in history.
“Would a country committing genocide plead with the civilian population it is supposedly targeting to get out of harm’s way?” he asked.
Netanyhu said Israel had dropped “millions of leaflets, sent millions of text messages [and] made countless phone calls urging civilians to leave Gaza City”.