UNITED NATIONS. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing escalating conflicts on two fronts, addressed the United Nations on Friday, vowing that Israel will continue its campaign to “degrade Hezbollah” until it achieves its objectives along the Lebanon border. Netanyahu’s remarks come as hopes for an internationally supported cease-fire diminish, raising concerns about an all-out regional war.
“We’ll continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met,” Netanyahu declared in his speech. He emphasized that Israel will not tolerate the daily rocket fire from the Lebanon border. “Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their homes safely. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
Netanyahu drew a parallel to the United States, asking the audience to imagine if terrorist groups turned cities like El Paso or San Diego into “ghost towns.” With a fist raised in emphasis, he added, “How long would the American government tolerate that? Yet Israel has been tolerating this intolerable situation for almost a year. Well, I’ve come here today to say: Enough is enough.”
The Israeli Prime Minister also defended his nation’s military response to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, which triggered a large-scale Israeli operation in Gaza. Armed with visual aids, a hallmark of his previous speeches, Netanyahu addressed the accusations at Israel earlier in the week by other global leaders. “I didn’t intend to come here this year. My country is at war fighting for its life,” he stated. “But after I heard the lies and slanders leveled at my country by many of the speakers at this podium, I decided to come here and set the record straight.”
Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s desire for peace but warned Iran: “If you strike us, we will strike you.” He criticized what he described as the global community’s long-standing appeasement of Iran, urging for it to stop. “For too long, the world has appeased Iran. That appeasement must end.”
Israel’s military operations in Gaza have led to significant loss of life, with over 41,500 Palestinians killed and more than 96,000 injured, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, operated by Hamas, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, though more than half of the dead have been women and children, including around 1,300 children under the age of 2. Despite this, Israel maintains that its military operations are both justified and necessary for self-defense.
“This war can end today. All Hamas has to do is surrender, lay down its arms, and release all the hostages,” Netanyahu said. “But if they don’t – if they don’t – we will fight until we achieve total victory. Total victory. There is no substitute for it.”
Netanyahu also highlighted the military successes in Gaza, claiming that Israeli forces have destroyed “90%” of Hamas’ rocket arsenal and neutralized half of their fighters.
Attention has now shifted to Israel’s northern border, where Hezbollah militants have been launching attacks in support of Hamas. The ongoing hostilities have led to civilian casualties on both sides and forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. Netanyahu vowed to intensify Israel’s strikes on Hezbollah to ensure the safety of Israeli citizens. “We will continue our operations until our citizens can return to their homes.”
Despite calls from the United States, France, and other allies for an immediate 21-day cease-fire, fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has continued to escalate. The United Nations reports that over 200,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon, with 90,000 of them fleeing in just the past five days due to Israeli airstrikes.
As Netanyahu took the stage at the UN, his speech was met with some disruptions from the audience, prompting the presiding diplomat to call for order. Earlier in the day, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had criticized Israel’s actions, with Sharif labeling the situation in Gaza as a “systematic slaughter of innocent people of Palestine.” Both leaders received applause for their remarks.
Netanyahu’s speech underscored Israel’s unwavering stance against both Hamas and Hezbollah, setting the stage for continued conflict in the region unless a diplomatic solution is reached.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
