Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Iran and defended Israel’s assaults on Iranian-backed fighters in Lebanon and Gaza in a United Nations speech on Friday as diplomats raced to safe a pause within the widening battle.
“Israel has been tolerating this insupportable state of affairs for almost a 12 months. Nicely, I’ve come right here at this time to say sufficient is sufficient,” Netanyahu instructed the U.N. Normal Meeting, referring to escalating violence between Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel.
A number of delegations walked out as Netanyahu approached the lectern whereas supporters within the gallery cheered.
“My nation is at struggle, combating for its life,” he mentioned.
“We should defend ourselves towards these savage murderers. Our enemies search not solely to destroy us, they search to destroy our frequent civilization and return all of us to a darkish age of tyranny and terror,” he mentioned.
In southern Lebanon, Israel continued to strike Hezbollah targets whereas diplomats on the U.N. voiced fears the assaults might flare into an all-out regional struggle.
In his speech, Netanyahu sought to pin blame for the battle on Israel’s arch-foe, Iran, whose delegation was absent for the speech. He mentioned Israel was defending itself towards Tehran on seven fronts, together with towards Hamas in Gaza.
“There isn’t any place in Iran that the lengthy arm of Israel can’t attain. And that’s true of all the Center East. Removed from being lambs led to the slaughter, Israel troopers have fought again with unimaginable braveness,” Netanyahu mentioned.
“I’ve one other message for this meeting and for the world exterior this corridor: We’re profitable,” he mentioned.
Israel will press on with discussions on ceasefire proposals for Lebanon within the days forward, Netanyahu mentioned earlier on Friday, and Washington warned that additional escalation would make it more durable for civilians on each side to return house.
However Netanyahu insisted that Israel’s marketing campaign would proceed.
“We’ll proceed degrading Hezbollah till all our aims are made,” he instructed the U.N. meeting.
CALLS FOR A RETURN OF IRAN SANCTIONS
The Israeli prime minister additionally known as for more durable motion on Iran’s nuclear program, together with a return of U.N. sanctions which had been lifted in 2015 underneath a nuclear cope with main world powers.
“I name on the Safety Council to snap again U.N. Safety Council sanctions towards Iran, as a result of we should all do all the things in our energy to make sure that Iran by no means will get nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu mentioned.
A Safety Council decision, which enshrined the nuclear deal and supplied the ability to revive U.N. sanctions, expires in October 2025.
Netanyahu additionally reiterated his earlier vows that Israel would block Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
“Iran now seeks to weaponize its nuclear program for the sake of the peace and safety of all of your international locations, and I guarantee you, Israel will do all the things in its energy to ensure it doesn’t occur.”
On the battle in Gaza, the place U.S.-led ceasefire talks have stalled, Netanyahu mentioned the struggle can finish if Hamas militants who carried out an Oct. 7 assault in Israel give up, lay down their weapons and return hostages seized within the assault.
“We’ll combat till we obtain victory, whole victory, there is no such thing as a substitute for it,” he mentioned.
Throughout the speech, he cited the presence of households of hostages seized by Hamas on Oct. 7. The struggle started when Hamas gunmen stormed Israeli communities, killing round 1,200 individuals and taking about 250 hostages again to Gaza, in line with Israeli tallies.
Since then, Israel’s army has leveled swaths of the besieged Palestinian enclave, driving almost all of its 2.3 million individuals from their properties, giving rise to lethal starvation and illness and killing greater than 41,000 individuals, in line with Palestinian well being authorities.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri condemned the speech.
“Netanyahu’s speech is filled with lies and contradictions, and the withdrawal of many delegations from the corridor is a message that Netanyahu’s lies are now not believed by anybody,” Abu Zuhri instructed Reuters.
“Netanyahu’s name for Hamas to give up is nonsense; give up is just not within the motion’s vocabulary, and the issue lies within the existence of the occupation, not with those that are defending themselves,” Abu Zuhri mentioned.
The 2 Normal Meeting audio system earlier than Netanyahu thumped the lectern as they spoke. Slovenia’s Prime Minister Robert Golob demanded: “Mr. Netanyahu, cease this struggle now.” Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif mentioned: “We should act now and demand an instantaneous finish to this bloodshed.”
