As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed for the United States to hold crucial talks at the White House and deliver an address to the UN General Assembly, he issued a strong denunciation of global leaders who have formally recognized a Palestinian state. This stern rebuke follows a special summit hosted by France on the sidelines of the General Assembly, where several Western governments extended recognition to the State of Palestine, set against the backdrop of the nearly two-year-long conflict in Gaza.
Netanyahu is slated to address the assembly on Friday. Speaking at Ben Gurion airport prior to his departure, he affirmed, “At the General Assembly, I will speak our truth — the truth of the citizens of Israel, the truth of the (Israeli) soldiers, the truth of our nation.” He continued with a forceful statement: “I will condemn those leaders who, instead of condemning the murderers, rapists and burners of children, want to give them a state in the heart of Israel. This will not happen.”
Just the day before, on Wednesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu had dismissed recent acknowledgments of Palestinian statehood, including those by Britain and France, describing them as a “shameful capitulation of some leaders to Palestinian terror” and stressing that such actions would “not obligate Israel in any way.”
During his visit to Washington, Netanyahu confirmed he would meet with U.S. President Trump for a fourth time. He stated, “I will discuss with him the great opportunities that our victories have brought, as well as our need to complete the goals of the war: to bring back all our hostages, to defeat Hamas and to expand the circle of peace that has opened up to us.”
Adding to the diplomatic developments, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff indicated on Wednesday that a breakthrough related to Gaza might be imminent. He revealed that President Trump had presented a “Trump 21-point plan for peace in the Mideast and Gaza” to various Arab and Islamic nations. Witkoff expressed confidence, stating, “I think it addresses Israeli concerns as well as the concerns of all the neighbours in the region. We’re hopeful, and I might say even confident, that in the coming days we’ll be able to announce some sort of breakthrough.”
Meanwhile, the tragic realities of the conflict persisted. An Israeli air strike on Thursday reportedly killed at least 11 people who had sought refuge in a home in central Gaza, according to the territory’s civil defense spokesperson. This incident occurred as the Israeli military continued its ground assault on Gaza City, the region’s largest urban center, which has resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of residents.