Israel’s Prime Minister is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, before an audience comprising distinguished heads of state, ministers, and royalty.
Netanyahu is anticipated to discuss the increasing number of Western nations that have announced their over the last week. The United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Portugal, and France are among the U.S.-allied countries that have taken this step, drawing strong disapproval from the Israeli Prime Minister, who has labeled it an “” for Hamas.
President Donald Trump, slated to meet with Netanyahu in the coming days, utilized his address at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday to oppose the recognition of a Palestinian state.
“It’s as if to incentivize ongoing conflict, with certain members of this assembly pushing for unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state,” Trump stated. “Such a move would provide excessive benefits to Hamas terrorists for their horrific acts. This would serve as a reward for these terrible atrocities, including those of October 7.”
Following the recognition of Palestinian statehood by additional countries, Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich last week discussed plans to annex the West Bank.
“The era in which Britain and other nations dictated our destiny has concluded; the mandate is over, and the sole appropriate response to this anti-Israeli action is asserting sovereignty over the Jewish homeland in Judea and Samaria, and permanently removing the misguided notion of a Palestinian state from consideration,” he .
During a discussion with reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, he declared that he “will not permit Israel to annex the West Bank.”
“It simply will not occur. We’ve had sufficient. The moment to halt is now,” he underscored, mentioning his conversation with Netanyahu on the matter.
Trump’s remarks resonated with comments made by French President Emmanuel Macron, who earlier this week stated that any Israeli attempt to annex parts of the West Bank would constitute a red line for the U.S.
Prior to Netanyahu’s address, his marked the launch of a “public diplomacy campaign” in New York City. Billboards and trucks were arranged to exhibit the message: “Remember October 7” in Times Square and near the U.N. building.
Netanyahu and his administration have already drawn international condemnation for their decision to broaden military operations in Gaza City.
Earlier this month, a U.N. Commission of Inquiry found that Israel is perpetrating genocide in Gaza. The Israeli Foreign Ministry vehemently dismissed the report as “distorted and false,” alleging that the commission’s chairs were “Hamas proxies.”
Israel has consistently refuted claims that its conduct in Gaza amounts to genocide, asserting its right to self-defense. A statement from Netanyahu’s office on Aug. 13 branded allegations of genocide as “absurd” and a “gross misrepresentation” during an .
Concurrently, the escalating malnutrition crisis in Gaza has also garnered global attention.
Famine has been officially announced in one governorate within the territory and is anticipated to be confirmed in two additional regions by the close of September, according to published in August.
In an update released on Sept. 25, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that “intensified attacks on Gaza City, targeting tents, residential structures, and infrastructure, persist in causing numerous casualties.”
“Throughout the past week, Israeli forces have maintained extensive bombardment from air, land, and sea across the Gaza Strip, especially in Gaza governorate,” OCHA stated, noting that is now believed to be under military occupation or subject to displacement directives.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas began when Hamas initiated a terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, resulting in over 1,200 fatalities and approximately 250 individuals taken hostage. More than 65,000 Palestinians have died since the war commenced, according to .
Without independent oversight on the ground, the ministry serves as the main source for casualty figures, which are utilized by humanitarian organizations, reporters, and international entities. Its data does not distinguish between civilians and combatants and cannot be independently corroborated by TIME. Information from the IDF indicates.