The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahuspoke this Friday before the UN General Assembly, where he said that Israel’s actions in the war in Gaza are because they are “defending themselves” and stressing that they are “winning” .
Netanyahu reproduced these remarks at the UN as the first anniversary of the start of the war approached: “For almost a year, the brave men and women of the Israeli army have systematically fought the terror that reigns in Gaza thanks to Hamas. Israeli soldiers wiped out or captured half of these terrorists, destroyed approximately 90 percent of their weapons arsenal and eliminated key segments of their tunnel system. To complete our victory, we destroy the structures that remain.
The Israeli Prime Minister deplored the deaths of civilians during the conflict, deaths which he attributes to his defense against the “common enemy”: “We do not want an innocent person to die, it is always a tragedy. We defend ourselves, but we also defend you against our common enemy it destroys your lives.
In fact, Netanyahu used the appearance to send a message to Iran: “I have a message for the tyrants of Tehran: if you attack us, we will attack you.” There is no place in Iran where Israel’s long arm cannot reach, and throughout the Middle East, Israeli soldiers have fought back with incredible courage and heroic sacrifice. And I have another message for the Assembly and the outside world: we are winning“.
“What decision are you going to make? Will they side with Israel? Will they support democracy and peace? Or will they side with Iran? A brutal dictatorship that dominates its own people, that exports terrorism across the world in this battle between good and evil?” he added about the conflict with Tehran.
Even if, throughout his speech, he did not mention a possible ceasefire, he did mention the moment when the war will end: “We are not seeking to resettle Gaza, we are seeking to demilitarize and deradicalize it. Only then can we guarantee that this cycle of conflict will be the last. We are willing to work with regional forces to support a local government in Gaza dedicated to peaceful coexistence. This war can end now if Hamas surrenders, hands over its weapons and frees its hostages. If they do not, we will fight until we achieve complete victory. »
