Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a harsh warning to Iran in his speech at the UN, saying that Israel can attack anywhere inside the country if provoked and that it will continue its war against Tehran’s proxy Hezbollah until it achieves “total victory.” .
“My country is at war, fighting for its life,” Netanyahu said in his impassioned speech to the UN General Assembly.
‘We must defend ourselves from these savage murderers. “Our enemies not only seek to destroy us, but they seek to destroy our common civilization and return us all to a dark age of tyranny and terror,” he told delegates.
In a message he addressed to ‘the tyrants of Tehran’, he said: ‘If you attack us, we will attack you… There is no place in Iran where the long arm of Israel cannot reach. And that goes for the entire Middle East.”
His speech made no mention of the 21-day ceasefire proposal put forward by the United States, France and other allies on Wednesday, which seeks to cool tensions and allow room for talks as the region appears to be on the verge of a total agreement. war.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York, US, on September 27, 2024.
A view shows damage at the site of the Israeli attack in Saksakiyeh, southern Lebanon, on September 27, 2024.
Smoke rises over southern Lebanon following an Israeli attack, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Tyre, Lebanon, on September 27, 2024.
Anti-war activists demonstrate in front of the hotel where Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is staying, who is in the city to attend the annual sessions of the UN General Assembly.
“We are winning,” Netanyahu said triumphantly, as Israel continues to bomb Lebanon as part of its campaign against Hezbollah, which he called the “terrorist organization par excellence.”
Widespread airstrikes in the south of the country and in the capital, Beirut, have left hundreds dead, including civilians, children and paramedics, in just a few days.
Protesters gathered in front of the UN condemning Netanyahu, who has vowed to continue the battle against Hamas until “total victory” is achieved.
He went on to say regarding Israel’s war against Hamas and Hezbollah: “We will fight until we achieve victory, total victory, there is no substitute for it.”
His speech was met with applause from some allies in the audience, but also with boos, and many delegates walked out when he took the stage.
Netanyahu said he had no intention of coming to New York to address the UN Assembly this year, but felt compelled to do so “to set the record straight” after what he called “the lies and slander directed against my country by many of the speakers. on this podium.”
The two speakers who preceded Netanyahu on Friday insisted on criticizing Israel for its actions.
“Mr. Netanyahu, stop this war now,” Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said as he closed his remarks, pounding the podium.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking just before the Israeli leader, declared of Gaza: ‘This is not just a conflict. This is a systematic killing of innocent people of Palestine.’
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike targeting villages in southern Lebanon, as seen from Marjaayoun, southern Lebanon, on September 25, 2024.
Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 41,500 Palestinians and injured more than 96,000, according to the latest figures released Thursday by the Health Ministry.
In recent days, Israel has focused its attention on the border with Lebanon, where it is targeting Hezbollah, a proxy for Iran.
Hezbollah began attacking Israel almost immediately after October 7, saying that the almost daily rocket fire into northern Israel over the past 11 months was to show solidarity with Gaza.
According to Lebanese figures, almost 800 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes against Lebanon over the past week.
Continued fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes on both sides of the border.
Israel vows to intensify its attacks against 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 of recent days could turn into an all-out war.