Israeli PM Netanyahu addresses the UN amid the Gaza war and rising global pressure. He sends a direct message to Hamas, defends against genocide claims, rebukes recognition of a Palestinian state, and reaffirms threats from Iran.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered an address to the United Nations General Assembly today, focusing on Israel's ongoing war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and mounting international pressure, including a wave of Western nations recognizing a Palestinian state.
The Prime Minister's speech was marked by several unprecedented actions and pointed confrontations with the international community.
Key Moments from the Speech
Direct Message to Gaza and Hamas (16:21): In an extraordinary move, the Prime Minister announced that the IDF had hijacked the mobile phones of Gaza residents and Hamas operatives. His speech was being broadcast live through those devices, as well as via giant loudspeakers placed along the Gaza border.
To Hamas Leaders: "Lay down your weapons, release the hostages. If you do so, you will live; if not, we will hunt you down."
To Gaza Residents: The war can end immediately with the release of all hostages and the disarmament and demilitarization of Hamas.
Plea to Hostages (16:18): Netanyahu read the names of the hostages held by Hamas, addressing them in Hebrew from the UN podium. "Our brave brothers and sisters, this is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking. I am addressing you from the UN platform. We have not forgotten you for even a second. The entire nation is with you. We will not rest or relent until we bring you all home, the living and the fallen alike."
Confronting Critics on "Genocide" Claims (16:30): Netanyahu called claims that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza "ridiculous." He emphasized: "We evacuate civilians to safe zones. What country committing genocide evacuates its civilians?"
Rebuke on Palestinian State Recognition (16:27): The Prime Minister strongly condemned countries recognizing a Palestinian state under current conditions, stating that "weak world leaders are folding under pressure." He challenged them: "You are not indicting us, but yourselves. We fought your enemies, barbaric enemies, on seven fronts, and you fold under pressure and fight against us. When will you learn that you cannot talk your way out against Jihad?"
The Iran Threat (16:14): Netanyahu reiterated his commitment, alongside U.S. President Donald Trump, to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. "We must not allow Iran to reestablish its nuclear capabilities. Iran's stockpiles must be destroyed, and sanctions must be reimposed."
Visual Evidence and War Aims (16:17, 16:15): The Prime Minister wore a special hostage pin featuring a QR code linking to a site detailing the atrocities of October 7th. He urged the audience to zoom in on the barcode to understand "why we must win." He added that the mission is not over, as "remnants of Hamas are still in Gaza City," and Israel "must finish the job."
The link to view the content is available everywhere in the world except for Israel. The reason for this is to stop the atrocities from being shared with sensitive viewers, like children, here in Israel.
Military Successes (16:10): Netanyahu presented a map detailing Israeli strikes over the past year. He claimed: "We struck the Houthis, destroyed most of Hamas's capabilities, killed Nasrallah, sent pagers to Hezbollah, demolished the Assad army, and destroyed Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities."
Reception and Pre-Speech Events
Walkout and Applause (16:05): Upon the Prime Minister's arrival, hundreds of Arab diplomats demonstratively walked out of the hall in protest, while others remained and greeted Netanyahu with applause.
Trump Meeting: Following the address, the Prime Minister is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has ordered that the film Bearing Witness To October 7th, a collection of footage seized by the IDF from the October 7th massacre videos taken by Hamas, be screened in the UN building. The video has never been fully released to the public and is only shown to audiences approved by the Israeli government, many of whom are required to sign NDAs before viewing. (Israel Live News)
In a very risky operation, IDF soldiers were ordered to transport loudspeakers into Gaza to broadcast Netanyahu's speech. Soldiers' parents were furious and berated Israel Katz and IDF Chief Eyal Zamir.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid sharply criticized the move, warning that it undermines democratic norms. “To Netanyahu’s regret, he is not Kim Jong Un, and the Israeli army should not be broadcasting the leader’s speeches over loudspeakers while endangering soldiers in the field. This is megalomaniacal madness that is incompatible with a democratic state,” Lapid said. (Israel Realtime WhatsApp Group)
Political Firestorm Erupts Over Netanyahu's UN Speech
Prime Minister Netanyahu's address to the UN General Assembly immediately sparked a wave of strong and opposing reactions from Israeli politicians and the families of hostages.
Reactions from the Right: Full Praise and Calls for Escalation
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir gave his full backing, calling the speech "powerful and important." However, he used the opportunity to demand even more aggressive action:
"We must continue with all our strength: crush the Hamas monsters in Gaza quickly, stop all 'humanitarian' aid, which the Prime Minister himself said in his speech is being stolen by Hamas and bury the nightmare dream of a 'Palestinian' state. We need to crush the terror organization that calls itself the 'Palestinian Authority' in Judea and Samaria, which should be an inseparable part of the State of Israel. Until absolute victory!"
Hostage Families: Accusations of Exploitation and Cruelty
The most emotional and painful reaction came from Einav Tsengauker, the mother of captive Matan, who sharply criticized the Prime Minister for mentioning her son's name.
"I heard the Prime Minister use Matan's name and I got a punch to the gut. While my Matan is being tortured in captivity, Netanyahu is doing a PR spin on him at the UN. He's bombing my child and torturing us, the families. He told Matan he hasn't forgotten him, but he didn't say that he's the one who ordered him and everyone else to be bombed to death. He didn't say he sold his birthright to the death-eaters in his government. A Prime Minister is trading in the blood of his citizens for the sake of the messianic extremists in his government."
Opposition Leader: "Tired and Whiny"
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid dismissed the speech as weak, ineffective, and reliant on old tactics:
"The world saw a tired and whiny Israeli Prime Minister today, giving a speech that was overly loaded with used gimmicks. Netanyahu didn't present his outline for bringing the hostages home, didn't present a way to end the war, and didn't explain why Hamas still hasn't been defeated after two years. Instead of stopping the diplomatic tsunami, Netanyahu made Israel's situation worse today."
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