<\/p>\n
26 September 2025<\/p>\n
Eightieth Session,<\/strong> The war in Gaza remained in sharp focus on the fourth day of the General Assembly\u2019s annual high-level debate in a week that began with a conference for Palestinian statehood amid growing support among Member States for a sovereign State of Palestine.<\/p>\n Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, was first to take the podium, met by a walkout of several delegations and an audibly mixed reception among those who remained.\u00a0\u201cThe curse of Iran\u2019s terror axis\u201d threatened global peace and stability in the Middle East, as well as \u201cthe very existence of my country, Israel\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n Describing his country\u2019s strikes against Iran\u2019s forces across the Middle East since the 7\u00a0October\u00a02023 Hamas attacks and which\u00a0targeted Iran\u2019s atomic weapons and ballistic missile programmes, he stressed that Iran must not be allowed to rebuild its military nuclear capacities and that Security Council sanctions on that country \u201cmust be snapped back\u201d.<\/p>\n He demanded Hamas\u2019 leaders to free the hostages who remain in Gaza now.\u00a0 \u201cLet my people go,\u201d he said, stressing that his words are being transmitted live to the cell phones of Gazans, and warning that if they do not, \u201cIsrael will hunt you down.\u201d \u00a0\u201cIf Hamas agrees to our demands, the war could end right now.\u201d\u00a0 Gaza would be demilitarized; Israel would retain overriding security control and a peaceful civilian authority would be established by Gazans and others committed to peace with Israel.<\/p>\n Other leaders, however, including Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, called out the genocidal onslaught in Gaza.\u00a0 Miche\u00e1l Martin, Taoiseach of Ireland, stressed that no crime, however heinous, can justify genocide.\u00a0 \u201cThe continuation of this course of action will ultimately harm Israel\u2019s own interests, leading to an erosion of international support,\u201d warned Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece.<\/p>\n \u201cSurely, the hottest part of hell is reserved for these perpetrators of genocide and those who are complicit in it,\u201d said Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.\u00a0 He called for the \u201ctragedy in Palestine\u201d to stop \u2014 an appeal that was echoed throughout the debate.<\/strong><\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of the State of Israel, holding up a poster titled \u201cThe Curse\u201d, said it shows \u201cthe curse of Iran\u2019s terror axis\u201d.\u00a0 \u201cThis axis threatened the peace of the entire world, the stability of our region and the very existence of my country, Israel,\u201d he underscored.\u00a0 Iran was developing\u00a0 massive nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, he said, meant not only to destroy Israel but to threaten the United States and \u201cblackmail nations everywhere\u201d.\u00a0 Describing attacks by Iran\u2019s forces against Israel launched from Gaza on 7\u00a0October\u00a02023, and those that followed from Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, he said that over the past year, his country has \u201chammered the Houthis [\u2026], crushed the bulk of Hamas\u2019 terror machine, crippled Hizbullah, destroyed Assad\u2019s armaments in Syria and deterred Iran\u2019s Shi\u2019ite militias in Iraq\u201d.\u00a0 Most importantly, Israel has devastated Iran\u2019s atomic weapons and ballistic missile programmes, he said.<\/p>\n Recalling \u201cIsrael\u2019s 12-day war in Iran\u201d, he thanked \u201cPresident [Donald J.] Trump for his bold and decisive action\u201d with Israel to deliver on \u201cthe promise of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons\u201d.\u00a0\u201cWe removed an existential threat to Israel and a mortal threat to the civilized world,\u201d he declared.\u00a0 \u201cWe must not allow Iran to rebuild its military nuclear capacities,\u201d he said, adding:\u00a0 \u201cTomorrow, UN Security Council sanctions on Iran must be snapped back.\u201d\u00a0However, the final remnants of Hamas remain in Gaza City, and they vow to repeat the atrocities of 7 October\u00a02023.\u00a0 He lamented that \u201cmuch of the world no longer remembers 7\u00a0October\u00a0[2023]\u201d, naming the 20\u00a0living Israeli hostages who remain in Gaza.\u00a0 Addressing them, he said:\u00a0 \u201cWe have not forgotten you.\u00a0 The people of Israel are with you.\u00a0 We will not rest; we will not falter until we bring all of you home.\u201d<\/p>\n Noting that his \u201cwords are also being streamed live to the cell phones of Gazans\u201d, he addressed Hamas\u2019 leaders, declaring:\u00a0 \u201cLay down your arms.\u00a0 Let my people go.\u00a0 Free the hostages \u2014 all of them, the whole\u00a048.\u00a0 Free the hostages now!\u201d\u00a0 He warned:\u00a0 \u201cIf you do, you will live.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t, Israel will hunt you down.\u201d\u00a0 He underscored that \u201cif Hamas agrees to our demands, the war could end right now\u201d.\u00a0 Gaza would be demilitarized, Israel would retain overriding security control and a peaceful civilian authority would be established by Gazans and others committed to peace with Israel.<\/p>\n Stressing that \u201cour enemies are your enemies\u201d, he voiced appreciation for President Trump\u2019s administration, which is \u201cforcefully fighting the scourge of antisemitism\u201d.\u00a0 However, others \u201creward the worst antisemites on Earth\u201d, he said, recalling that this week the leaders of France, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and others unconditionally recognized a Palestinian State.\u00a0 Peace is possible between Israel and countries in the region, he said, encouraging their cooperation with Israel, which would bring them benefits in medicine, science, defence and other fields.\u00a0 \u201cIn the coming years, the Middle East will look dramatically different,\u201d he said, voicing hope that \u201cbrave peacemakers\u201d will today replace those who waged war in Israel and who will then be gone.<\/p>\n Turning to the plight of the Palestinian people, he said Israel’s genocidal onslaught has unleashed unspeakable terror upon women and children, stressing that the smallest coffins are the heaviest to carry.\u00a0 \u201cFor I too carried the tiny coffin of a seven-year-old, Irtiza Abbas, during the recent confrontation with India,\u201d he added, urging the world not to fail any child anywhere in the world.\u00a0 Israel’s attack on Doha and its continued violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of numerous countries reflects its rogue behavior, he noted.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n \u201cAll countries belong to the same global village and rely on each other for security,\u201d he said, adding that the legitimate security concerns of all countries must be respected, and differences settled peacefully through dialogue.\u00a0 China is the biggest contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget and, of the permanent Council Members, the largest provider of peacekeepers.\u00a0 It will continue to promote peace talks on Ukraine and the Palestine-Israel conflict.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n On Gaza and the West Bank, he said:\u00a0 \u201cSurely, the hottest part of hell is reserved for these perpetrators of genocide and those who are complicit in it,\u201d calling for the \u201ctragedy in Palestine\u201d to stop.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n But the Organization\u2019s success \u201cdepends on all of us\u201d, he underscored.\u00a0 He urged Member States to adopt this spirit of compromise and reconciliation, as they work for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire and full humanitarian access in Gaza, as well as for the release of all hostages.\u00a0 That spirit is also needed to realize the two-State solution, he said, recalling his country’s formal recognition of the State of Palestine this week.\u00a0 Luxembourg will be a reliable partner in these efforts, including in work to ensure equal rights, educate all children, eradicate hunger and disease, protect cultural heritage and create a Â鶹APP that is fit for purpose.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n Turning to Gaza, \u201ca catastrophe of the most monumental and consequential kind\u201d, he acknowledged those working in the most unimaginably difficult circumstances to preserve and sustain life and to treat the injured.\u00a0 \u201cAt the heart of this vital effort have been UN agencies and workers, most especially UNRWA [Â鶹APP Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East],\u201d he said.\u00a0Recalling babies starving to death while aid rots at the border, as well as the deliberate targeting and destruction of schools, hospitals, mosques, cultural institutions and the killing of doctors, aid workers and journalists, he stated:\u00a0 \u201cWe are all witnesses to the immense wrath of one of the world\u2019s most modern and best-equipped armies brought to bear on a trapped and defenceless civilian population.\u201d\u00a0 Those responsible for the 7\u00a0October\u00a02023 attack on Israel \u2014 which was a monstrous war crime \u2014 must be held to account, he said, adding that Hamas, not the Palestinian people, were responsible but no crime, however heinous, can justify genocide.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n \u201cSo too must there be an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza,\u201d he continued, calling for the immediate release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid into the Strip.\u00a0 \u00a0Earlier this week, Malta recognized the State of Palestine, he said, underscoring that a \u201ctwo-state solution \u2014 no \u2014 isn\u2019t a reward for Hamas; it is the only way [\u2026] to finally banish the evil of Hamas\u201d.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n Citing 7\u00a0October\u00a02023, he said Greece has advocated for Israel\u2019s right to defend itself against a terrorist organization that rejects Israel\u2019s right to exist, but he added that no military can justify the death of thousands of children and the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people.\u00a0 \u201cThe continuation of this course of action will ultimately harm Israel\u2019s own interests, leading to an erosion of international support,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n Jamaica condemns the 7\u00a0October\u00a02023 attack on Israel and deeply regrets the devastating humanitarian consequences of the counter-offensive in the Palestinian territories.\u00a0 There must be a just and peaceful resolution through diplomacy and dialogue.\u00a0 He supports the call for a ceasefire and the release of all remaining hostages.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n On threats to global peace and security, he condemned coups d\u2019\u00e9tat, terrorism, genocide and assaults on the territorial integrity of countries – voicing support for a just, durable peace for the resolution of the war in Ukraine.\u00a0 He further called for the two-State solution, with \u201cIsrael and Palestine living side by side, in peace and security\u201d.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n \u201cZimbabwe was born out of a protracted liberation struggle,\u201d he added \u2014 hence its solidarity with the people of Palestine and Western Sahara.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n On the war in Gaza \u2014 \u201cthe edge of a horrible abyss\u201d \u2014 while New Zealand strongly condemns the 7\u00a0October\u00a02023 attacks and believes Hamas has no place in a future Palestinian State, Israel\u2019s response has been \u201cgrossly disproportionate\u201d.\u00a0 And recognizing a Palestinian State is, for his country, a matter \u201cuniquely complicated given it is embedded in a seemingly intractable, never-ending conflict situation\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n Noting that Palestinian statehood recognition will at present be \u201copen to political manipulation by both Hamas and Israel\u201d, he pointed out his country\u2019s dilemma in that regard:\u00a0 the former will portray such recognition as victory while the latter will view it as a reward.\u00a0 \u201cWe are not ready to make that gesture,\u201d he said, adding:\u00a0 \u201cRather, the New Zealand Government believes that it has one opportunity to recognize Palestinian statehood, and it would make better sense to do so when conditions offer greater prospects for peace and negotiation than at present.\u201d<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n He outlined several pillars for a vision of global peace, coexistence and prosperity aligned with the principles of the UN\u00a0Charter and international law, the first being a commitment to peaceful solutions to conflicts, especially in the Middle East.<\/p>\n This commitment includes a call for a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the protection of civilians, the release of hostages and detainees, advancing the sustained delivery of humanitarian aid and other actions. \u00a0\u201cMy country warns of the repercussions of the war in Gaza on regional stability and global interests,\u201d he said, condemning the Israeli attack on Qatar.\u00a0 He also called for negotiations and diplomatic solutions as the path to resolving the Palestinian issue in line with international law and the Charter.\u00a0 He urged the international community to respond to the initiative of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa endorsed by the thirty-third Arab Summit, the \u201cBahrain Summit\u201d, which called for an international peace conference in the Middle East.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n He also expressed solidarity with the heroic people of Palestine, condemned the attacks on Iran, and demanded the lifting of the blockade on Cuba and the removal of unilateral coercive measures against Belarus, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Eritrea, Iran and Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n \/…<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\n10th & 11th Meetings (AM & PM)<\/strong><\/p>\nSharp Rebuke of \u2018Genocidal\u2019 Actions\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister<\/strong><\/h4>\n
China: Li Qiang, Premier\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Luxembourg: Luc Frieden, Prime Minister<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Ireland: Miche\u00e1l Martin, Taoiseach\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Malta: Robert Abela, Prime Minister<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Greece: Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Jamaica: Andrew Holness, Prime Minister<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Cabo Verde: Jos\u00e9 Ulisses Correia e Silva, Prime Minister<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Zimbabwe: Amon Murwira, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Trade<\/strong><\/h4>\n
New Zealand: Winston Peters, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Racing and Minister for Rail<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Bahrain: Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister for Foreign Affairs<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Venezuela: Yvan Gil Pinto, Minister of the People’s Power for Foreign Affairs\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n