The Media Line: Netanyahu Broadcasts UN Speech Live to Gaza, Demands Hamas Surrender and Release Hostages 

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Netanyahu Broadcasts UN Speech Live to Gaza, Demands Hamas Surrender and Release Hostages 

By The Media Line Staff 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used his address to the United Nations General Assembly to deliver a message unlike any before: his words were broadcast live into Gaza through loudspeakers and cellphones, aimed directly at both the hostages held since October 7 and their Hamas captors. 

Speaking from the podium in New York to a nearly empty hall after numerous walkouts, Netanyahu began by reviewing Israel’s recent military operations, including the destruction of much of Hamas’s infrastructure, heavy blows to Hezbollah and the Houthis, and what he described as a decisive 12-day campaign against Iran’s nuclear program. He thanked US President Donald Trump for helping to carry out the strikes, saying together they had removed “an existential threat to Israel and a mortal threat to the civilized world.” Netanyahu urged the UN Security Council to reimpose snapback sanctions on Tehran to prevent it from rebuilding its nuclear capabilities. 

Turning to Gaza, Netanyahu reminded the world of the October 7 atrocities, which he referred to as “the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust.” He read out the names of the 20 hostages Israel believes are still alive and then addressed them directly. “Our brave heroes. We have not forgotten you. We will not falter and we will not rest until we bring all of you home,” he declared, speaking in Hebrew and English. 

“To the remaining Hamas leaders and to the jailers of our hostages, I now say, lay down your arms. Let my people go. Free the hostages now. If you do, you will live. If you don’t, Israel will hunt you down,” Netanyahu warned. He added that if Hamas released all captives and surrendered its weapons, “the war could end right now,” with Gaza demilitarized under Israeli security control and administered by a civilian authority committed to peace. 

Netanyahu accused nations boycotting Israel of appeasing extremists and denounced charges of genocide and famine as “blood libels.” He argued that Hamas is deliberately inflating civilian casualties by embedding in schools, hospitals, and mosques. “For Israel, every civilian casualty is a tragedy. For Hamas, it’s a strategy,” he said, noting that Israel has facilitated the delivery of millions of tons of aid into Gaza, much of which he claimed Hamas has looted. 

Framing Israel’s struggle as a shared Western cause, Netanyahu asked delegates to imagine if America suffered a proportional attack. “Would the United States leave that regime standing? No way, not a chance,” he said, appealing particularly to US audiences while suggesting Europe had abandoned Israel. 

He rejected recent recognitions of Palestinian statehood, saying they reward terror. “When the most savage terrorists on earth are effusively praising your decision, you didn’t do something right. You did something wrong,” he argued. Netanyahu insisted that the Palestinian Authority, like Hamas, rejects Israel’s existence and perpetuates violence through incitement and payments to terrorists. 

Concluding, Netanyahu linked Israel’s military victories to new openings for peace with neighbors once considered unreachable, including Syria and Lebanon. He expressed hope that Arab and Muslim nations such as Indonesia might soon join the Abraham Accords and even said he envisions a time when Israel and Iran can revive their friendship. 

“Our sons and daughters fought like lions,” he said. “Two years after October 7, the strength of Israel burns brighter than ever.”