- The Israeli prime minister told the UNGA that Israel’s military campaign will not stop, despite international criticism and the mounting Palestinian death toll.
- Netanyahu brandished a map of Iran’s “terror axis,” praised assassinations of regional leaders, and showcased a QR code linking to Israel’s account of the October 7 attack.
- He addressed Israeli captives directly, vowed their release, and warned that Hamas still poses a danger, framing Israel’s response as a historic military “comeback.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday signaled no let-up in the war on Gaza, telling the UN General Assembly that Israel would continue its military campaign despite international criticism and mounting civilian deaths.
Several delegations walked out during his address, which was marked by combative rhetoric and pointed attacks on Iran and its allies. Netanyahu held up a map he described as showing “Iran’s terror axis” and credited Israel with reshaping the Middle East through targeted killings of regional leaders.
The prime minister, who faces an International Criminal Court warrant over alleged war crimes, praised an Israeli operation in Lebanon that detonated pagers carried by Hezbollah fighters. “You remember those beepers, the pagers, we paged Hezbollah, and believe me, they got the message,” he said.
Wearing a lapel pin with a QR code, Netanyahu urged the audience to scan it for Israel’s account of the Hamas-led October 7 attack, which killed at least 1,139 people. He has repeatedly cited the assault to justify the ongoing campaign in Gaza, where at least 65,502 Palestinians have been killed to date. More than 40 died on Thursday alone amid reports of worsening starvation.
Addressing the families of Israeli hostages, Netanyahu said: “We have not forgotten you, not even for a second… We will not falter and we will not rest until we bring all of you home.” Officials later said the speech was broadcast across Gaza.
Despite acknowledging Hamas had been weakened, Netanyahu warned the group remained capable of repeating “the atrocities of October 7.” He hailed Israel’s military response as “one of the most stunning comebacks in history,” before concluding: “But we’re not done."
He concluded with a final defiant message, saying Israel seeks to be a “beacon of progress, ingenuity, innovation for the benefit of all humanity”.
“On October 7, the enemies of Israel tried to extinguish that light. The resolve of Israel and the strength of Israel burned brighter than ever, with God’s help, that strength and that resolve will lead us to a speedy victory, into a brilliant future of prosperity and peace,” he said.
