At UN, Netanyahu vows that Israel will continue to ‘degrade Hezbollah’ until goals are met – Daily News

TIA GOLDENBERG

UNITED NATIONS — Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu signaled to the world from the United Nations on Friday that the Middle East’s multiple conflicts are far from resolved, and vowed to continue the fight against Lebanese Hezbollah and defeat Hamas in the Gaza Strip until “total victory.”

Shortly after the prime minister’s speech, explosions rocked the Lebanese capital, Beirut, and the Israeli military said it had struck Hezbollah’s headquarters. The exact purpose was not immediately clear, but it seemed significant enough that Netanyahu shortened his trip to New York by a day and made the unusual journey on the Jewish Sabbath to return home.

“Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens home safely. And that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Netanyahu said, drawing applause from supporters in the General Assembly gallery. “We will continue to degrade Hezbollah until all our goals are achieved,” he said.

When Netanyahu entered the hall and was introduced, there were boos and raised voices, and many delegates left through different exits.

Netanyahu spoke as international mediation efforts continued to halt the escalation of the conflict in Lebanon, where Israel has been striking Hezbollah targets intensively over the past week, causing the death toll in Lebanon to soar to the hundreds and raising fears that the conflict could escalate in total war.

Late Wednesday, the United States, France and other allies jointly called for an “immediate” 21-day ceasefire to allow negotiations. Israel said on Thursday that discussions were ongoing and Hezbollah did not officially respond to the ceasefire proposal, but said it would not stop firing until the war in Gaza ended.

Hezbollah began striking Israel the day after Hamas attacked on October 7 in an act of solidarity with the Palestinians. Since then, the sides have exchanged fire at relatively low altitude almost daily, with salvos that escalated rapidly after a wave of exploding communications devices targeting Hezbollah operatives – an attack widely blamed on Israel. The fighting has displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border.

Netanyahu defends Israel’s response

Netanyahu faced growing pressure from his own government and Israelis displaced by the fighting to deal a heavy blow to Hezbollah. The group’s senior management has been targeted in recent strikes.

“Imagine if terrorists turned El Paso and San Diego into ghost towns… How long would the American government tolerate this?” – he said, shaking his fist emphatically. “Yet Israel tolerated this intolerable situation for almost a year. Well, I came here today to say enough is enough.

Netanyahu pointed the finger at Iran as a destabilizing force in the region, noting its support for both Hamas and Hezbollah. He warned Tehran that “if you hit us, we will hit you.” When he spoke, the seats in Iran’s delegation were empty. Outside, protesters against Netanyahu and Israel’s policies demonstrated behind police barricades.

Armed with visual aids as in the past, the prime minister defended his nation’s response to the Hamas attack on Israel, which sparked a war that devastated the Gaza Strip. He said Israel destroyed most of Hamas’ missile arsenal, killed or captured half of its fighting forces and dismantled many underground tunnels. He said Israel was “focused on destroying Hamas’ remaining combat capabilities.”

But the war in Gaza will soon stretch into a second year, with no end in sight. Repeated attempts to broker a ceasefire have stalled due to Hamas’s demand that Israel withdraw all troops and end the war, and Israel’s insistence on maintaining a presence in some areas. Throughout this time, civilians have suffered a staggering toll from continued violence; About 100 hostages are being held in Gaza.

According to the latest figures released Thursday by the Ministry of Health, more than 41,500 Palestinians have been killed and more than 96,000 injured in Israel’s campaign in Gaza. The ministry, part of the Hamas government in Gaza, does not distinguish between civilians and fighters, but more than half of the victims were women and children, including about 1,300 children under the age of 2.

Israel maintains that its military operations are legitimate and necessary for defense.

“This war can end now. All that needs to happen is for Hamas to surrender, lay down its weapons and release all 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. “

His speech influenced the rest of the General Assembly

In a speech peppered with references to the conflict, Netanyahu also made a long appeal for Israel’s relations with Saudi Arabia, repeating the content of his speech from last year when efforts were made in this direction. But U.S.-backed normalization talks have been derailed by Hamas attacks that have refocussed the spotlight on Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians, casting doubt on Netanyahu’s argument that ties with Saudi Arabia are not dependent on Palestinian statehood.