Logo

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the United Nations General Assembly in a defiant address Friday that his nation must “finish the job” in its war against Hamas terrorists and secure the release of all remaining hostages from Gaza.

“The final remnants of Hamas are holed up in Gaza City. They vow to repeat the atrocities of Oct. 7 again and again and again — no matter how diminished their forces,” declared Netanyahu, ignoring a walkout by dozens of delegates just before he began his remarks.

“That is why Israel must finish the job; that is why we want to do so as fast as possible.”


  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel must “finish the job” in its war against Hamas terrorists and force all the hostages to be released from Gaza during a defiant address before the United Nations Friday. REUTERS Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel must “finish the job” in its war against Hamas terrorists and force all the hostages to be released from Gaza during a defiant address before the United Nations Friday. REUTERS

Elsewhere, Netanyahu called for the total defeat of Iran and its “terror axis” proxies in Iraq, Syria and Yemen — while taking a victory lap over Israel’s decimation of Hezbollah’s ranks in Lebanon.

“Remember those beepers?” Netanyahu said of Israel’s devastating September 2024 operation in which explosives were placed inside pagers carried by Hezbollah terrorists.

“We paged Hezbollah. And believe me, they got the message. And thousands of terrorists dropped to the ground.”


  Many delegates boycotted the speech from the start by walking out. REUTERS Many delegates boycotted the speech from the start by walking out. REUTERS

Netanyahu, 75, also rejected recognition of a Palestinian state, which several US allies have done ahead of this year’s General Assembly.

“Giving the Palestinians a state, one mile from Jerusalem after Oct. 7,” he said, “is like giving al Qaeda a state one mile from New York City after Sept. 11.”

“This is sheer madness, it’s insane and we won’t do it,” he added. “We will not commit national suicide because you don’t have the guts to face down a hostile media and antisemitic mobs demanding Israel’s blood.”


  Other portions of his speech focused on the importance of defeating the broader “terror axis” of Iran and its proxies in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen — and anticipating a future of “prosperity” and “peace” in the Middle East. ZUMAPRESS.com Other portions of his speech focused on the importance of defeating the broader “terror axis” of Iran and its proxies in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen — and anticipating a future of “prosperity” and “peace” in the Middle East. ZUMAPRESS.com

Netanyahu later accused British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and others who moved to officially recognize a Palestinian state of sending a message to the rest of the world that “murdering Jews pays off” while giving Hamas “a pass” on its “genocidal” ambitions.

“Israel is accused of deliberately starving the people of Gaza when Israel is deliberately feeding the people of Gaza,” he said at one point. “Since the beginning of the war, Israel has led into Gaza more than 2 million tons of food and aid.”


  Smoke rises following an Israeli strike on Friday in Gaza City. AP Smoke rises following an Israeli strike on Friday in Gaza City. AP

“That’s 1 ton of aid for every man, woman, and child in Gaza, nearly 3,000 calories per person per day,” he added. “Some starvation policy.”

(An “average” man is advised to consume between 2,000 and 3,000 calories daily.)

Netanyahu also sent a message of hope to the remaining hostages, with loudspeakers set up across Gaza to broadcast portions of his speech.


  Netanyahu had loudspeakers set up across Gaza to broadcast portions of his speech. X / @IsraeliPM Netanyahu had loudspeakers set up across Gaza to broadcast portions of his speech. X / @IsraeliPM

  Technology being set up to broadcast the speech. X Technology being set up to broadcast the speech. X

“Our brave heroes, this is Prime Minister Netanyahu speaking to you, live from the United Nations,” he told them. “We have not forgotten you, not even for a second. The people of Israel are with you. We will not falter and we will not rest until we bring all of you home.”

The Israeli head of government also sent a message to Palestinian civilians on their cellphones, which he claimed had been hacked by intelligence officials.


  Crane holding a speaker. X Crane holding a speaker. X

“To the remaining Hamas leaders and to the jailers of our hostages, I now say, ‘Lay down your arms. Let my people go,'” Netanyahu said, quoting Moses.

“Free the hostages, all of them, the whole 48, free the hostages,” he added. “Now if you do, you will live. If you don’t, Israel will hunt you down.”

As he spoke, dozens of anguished families of hostages kidnapped or killed by the Palestinian terror group gathered in the Big Apple and blasted Netanyahu, desperately urging him to end the war and secure the release of the 48 remaining captives. 

“Too many of our people are being killed, too many are being killed,” Orna Neutra, the mother of hostage Omer Neutra, said outside the UN while holding her son’s photo. 


  “Israel is accused of deliberately starving the people of Gaza when Israel is deliberately feeding the people of Gaza,” Netanyahu said. AFP via Getty Images “Israel is accused of deliberately starving the people of Gaza when Israel is deliberately feeding the people of Gaza,” Netanyahu said. AFP via Getty Images

“We need this war to end. It’s time for action, not long speeches. To all world leaders, bring our hostages home, bring them home now. Bring them home! All of them back.”

She then called on President Trump to fulfill his pledge to resolve the conflict and return the hostages home.

Around 70 members of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum gathered on 47th Street, waving Israeli flags and clutching yellow carnations as they chanted the captives’ names.

Some branded Netanyahu as a “cancer” destroying Israel, while others said he bore responsibility for emboldening Hamas and its Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on the Jewish state.

“We’re coming on the Jewish high holidays, on Yom Kippur, we take score of what we did last year and what we can do better,” the father of dual Israeli-US hostage Itay Chen, Ruby, said. The 19-year-old was killed by Hamas on Oct. 7. 

“I hope that the Prime Minister understands that he has a job to finish. The job is to get 48 hostages home. Not 20, not 15, and not five. All 48 hostages need to get out and we want all them now, we want all of them now.”

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy