Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a strong warning to Iran in his UN speech, saying Israel could strike anywhere in the country if provoked and that it will continue its war against Tehran’s Hezbollah until it achieves a “total victory.”
“My country is at war and fighting for its life,” Netanyahu said in his impassioned speech to the UN General Assembly.
‘We must defend ourselves against these ferocious killers. Our enemies are not just trying to destroy us, they are trying to destroy our common civilization and return us all to a dark age of tyranny and terror,” he told delegates.
In a message addressed to ‘the tyrants of Tehran’ he said: ‘If you hit us, we will hit you… There is no place in Iran where Israel’s long arm cannot reach. And that applies to the entire Middle East.’
His speech made no mention at all of the 21-day ceasefire proposal made by the US, France and other allies on Wednesday, which aims to cool tensions and allow for talks, as the region appears to be on the brink of a total crisis. war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York, USA, September 27, 2024
An image shows damage at the site of the Israeli attack in Saksakiyeh, southern Lebanon, September 27, 2024
Smoke rises over southern Lebanon after an Israeli attack, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Tyre, Lebanon, September 27, 2024
Anti-war activists gather outside the hotel where Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu – who is in town for the annual sessions of the UN General Assembly – is staying
“We are winning,” Netanyahu said triumphantly, as Israel continues to bomb Lebanon as part of its campaign against Hezbollah, which he called a “typical terrorist organization.”
Widespread airstrikes in the south of the country and in the capital Beirut have killed hundreds, including civilians, children and paramedics, in just a few days.
Protesters gathered outside the UN and condemned Netanyahu, who has vowed to continue the fight against Hamas until “total victory” is achieved.
He further said of Israel’s war against Hamas and Hezbollah: “We will fight until we achieve victory, a total victory, there is no substitute for that.”
His speech was received with cheers from some allies in the audience, as well as cheers, with many delegates walking out as he took the stage.
Netanyahu said he had not planned to come to New York to address the UN meeting this year, but felt compelled to do so “to set the record straight” after what he called “the lies and slander that expressed against my country by many of the speakers. on this stage.’
The two speakers who preceded Netanyahu on Friday each made a point of calling Israel out for its actions.
“Mr. Netanyahu, stop this war now,” Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said as he concluded his speech and pounded the podium.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated about Gaza just before the Israeli leader: ‘This is not just a conflict. This is a systematic slaughter of innocent people in Palestine.”
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanese villages, seen from Marjaayoun, south Lebanon, September 25, 2024
Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 41,500 Palestinians and injured more than 96,000 others, according to the latest figures released Thursday by the Health Ministry.
In recent days, Israel has turned its attention to the border with Lebanon, where it is targeting Hezbollah, a proxy of Iran.
Hezbollah began attacking Israel almost immediately after October 7, saying its almost daily rocket fire into northern Israel for the past 11 months was intended to show its solidarity with Gaza.
Nearly 800 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon in the past week, according to Lebanese figures.
Ongoing fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has driven tens of thousands of people from their homes on both sides of the border.
Israel vows to step up its attacks on Hezbollah until its citizens can safely return to their homes.
Late Wednesday, the United States, France and other allies jointly called for an “immediate” 21-day ceasefire to allow negotiations as fears grow that the violent escalation in recent days could spiral into all-out war .