Israel has announced that while its Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, it took over the phones of Gaza residents and Hamas members.
“In an unprecedented action, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a live broadcast from the UN building in New York, has announced that the IDF took control of the telephones of Gaza residents and Hamas members, and that his speech is now being broadcast live via the telephones,” Israel posted on X on Friday.
The statement further read that “the PM appealed to the residents of Gaza and made it clear that the war could end immediately upon the return of the hostages, the disarming of Hamas and the demilitarisation of the Strip.”
“PM Netanyahu stressed that whoever does so will live while those who do not will be hunted.”
Earlier on Friday, SaharaReporters reported that a dramatic scene unfolded at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as several delegates walked out in protest when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stepped up to the podium.
The Israeli leader, who is under an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and genocide in Gaza, pressed ahead with his address to the 80th session of the UNGA amid the visible boycott.
The walkout underscored deep divisions within the international community over Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, which has entered its eleventh month.
Since October 2023, Israeli forces have conducted an extensive military campaign in the enclave following Hamas’ surprise attacks that killed more than 1,200 people in southern Israel.
Gaza’s health ministry reports that over 40,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed, with widespread destruction of homes, schools, hospitals, and vital infrastructure.
Netanyahu has consistently defended Israel’s actions as necessary for “eradicating Hamas” and ensuring Israel’s security.
However, critics argue that the disproportionate use of force amounts to collective punishment of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.
Humanitarian agencies, including the UN, have warned of famine, mass displacement, and catastrophic civilian suffering.
