Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country has been fighting in Gaza, Yemen, and Iran “on behalf of all of you,” addressing world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday (September 26).
“Behind closed doors, many world leaders who publicly condemn us, have thanked us for actions against Hamas… deep down, Israel is fighting on behalf of all of you,” he said.
Netanyahu, who has an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes, dismissed recent findings of a UN commission that accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Several delegates staged a walkout as the Israeli leader began to speak.
Taking to the podium wearing a QR code, Netanyahu asked UN members to scan it to understand “why we fight and why we must win,” citing the attacks Hamas on October 7, 2023.
“Israel must finish the job of eliminating the remnants of Hamas in Gaza city,” he said.
The previous day, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called out Israel’s aggression in Gaza for over two years as “war crime” and a “crime against humanity,” while also denouncing the 2023 Hamas attack. The Palestinian leader joined the UN General Assembly virtually as he was denied visa by the US to attend in person.
However, Netanyahu, in his 45-minute long speech, claimed that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is the same as Hamas and warned that recognising it as a state only provokes further attacks in Gaza.
Australia, Canada, the UK, and France are some of the western countries who have recognised the Palestinian state. “You didn’t do something right. You did something wrong, horribly wrong,” he said.
He also spoke about Israel’s attack on Iran and called on the UN Security Council to bring back sanctions on Iran’s nuclear programme.
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“President Trump and I have delivered on the promise of eliminating Iran’s ability to have nuclear weapons,” he claimed, referring to the nearly two weeks of airstrikes between the two countries where Israel claims to have destroyed Iran’s key nuclear sites and many top scientists behind the country’s nuclear programme. US President Donald Trump eventually brokered a ceasefire.
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