'Lay down your arms' and free hostages now, Netanyahu tells Hamas at UNGA

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 26: Netanyahu also held up a map showing what he called "the curse of Iran's terror axis," saying much of Tehran's proxies had been decimated by Israel's military.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken directly to the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, saying, "We have not forgotten you."

The prime minister's office announced earlier on Friday that loudspeakers on the Israeli side of the border would broadcast Netanyahu's speech into Gaza as part of what it calls an "informational effort."

"We will not rest until we bring all of you home," Netanyahu said in both Hebrew and English, telling Hamas "lay down your arms" and free the hostages now.

"Israel will hunt you down," Netanyahu warned.

The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing around 1,200 people, most of them civilians, in what Netanyahu called an act of "unspeakable savagery".

Hamas took 251 people as hostages, and is currently holding 48, of whom 20 Israel believes are still alive.

"Israel is fighting your fight," Netanyahu said, citing what he called the rise of radical Islamism in countries across the world.

Netanyahu also held up a map showing what he called "the curse of Iran's terror axis," saying much of Tehran's proxies had been decimated by Israel’s military, citing Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Yemen’s Houthis as examples.

"Our enemies hate all of us," Netanyahu said, denying that genocide is happening in Gaza.

Netanyahu entered the chamber to rowdy applause and cheering, prompting repeated calls for order. But dozens filed out of the room as he made his way to the podium.

Israel has been facing growing international condemnation for the war in Gaza, with several countries condemning the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Strip.

In August, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said famine is occurring in Gaza City and warned it could spread south to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis.

Netanyahu denied famine was happening anywhere in the Strip, saying Israel had let in 2 million tonnes of aid, enough to satisfy the dietry requirements of the population.

Trump at UN says China, India primary funders of Ukraine war

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 23: China and India are the “primary funders” of the Ukraine war by continuing to purchase Russian oil, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday in his address to the U.N. General Assembly.

“China and India are the primary funders of the ongoing war by continuing to purchase Russian oil,” Trump said in his over an hour-long address at the General Debate of the 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly.

Repeating his claim that he stopped the conflict between India and Pakistan, he said, “Likewise, in a period of just seven months, I have ended seven unendable wars. They said they were unendable...Some were going for 31 years. Two of them, 31 think of it, 31 years. One was 36 years, one was 28 years,” Trump said in his first address to world leaders at the General Debate from the U.N. podium in his second term as U.S. President.

Trump dismissed climate change as “the greatest con job” in the world, doubling down on his skepticism of global environmental initiatives and multilateral institutions.

Trump relentlessly mocked the United Nations blasting it for failing to bring peace and claiming the world body encourages illegal migration.

He accused the U.N. of fostering an “assault” through migration on Western countries that he said were “going to hell.”

He likewise used the major forum to denounce efforts to reduce global warming, calling climate change concerns “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.”

“What is the purpose of the United Nations?” asked Trump.

“All they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter,” he said. “It’s empty words, and empty words don’t solve war”

The 79-year-old even complained about a broken escalator and teleprompter at the New York headquarters of the U.N., which he has repeatedly targeted during both of his presidential terms.

“These are the two things I got from the United Nations, a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter,” he said.

Touting what he said were his efforts to end seven wars, Trump turned to two where his outreach has produced no results -- Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s war in Gaza following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack.

He called recognition by a slate of Washington’s allies of a Palestinian state a “reward” to armed group Hamas for “horrible atrocities” and urged the group to release hostages to reach peace.

Trump lashed out at European allies, as well as China and India, for failing to stop oil purchases from Russia, while remaining relatively restrained on Moscow even as he said Washington was ready to impose unspecified sanctions.

Some of his strongest language was reserved for migration as he lambasted the U.N. for “funding an assault” on Western nations.

“It’s time to end the failed experiment of open borders,” Trump said. “Your countries are going to hell,” he said, also attacking London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan, the first Muslim Mayor of a Western capital.

India votes in favour of UNGA resolution on Palestine endorsing two-state solution

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 13: The UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Friday to support a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict and urge Israel to commit to a Palestinian state, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vehemently opposes.

The 193-member world body approved a nonbinding resolution endorsing the “New York Declaration,” which sets out a phased plan to end the nearly 80-year conflict. The vote was 142-10 with 12 abstentions.

Hours before the vote, Netanyahu said, “There will be no Palestinian state.” He spoke at the signing of an agreement to expand settlements that will divide the West Bank, which the Palestinians insist must be part of their state, saying, “This place belongs to us.”

The resolution was sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia, who co-chaired a high-level conference on implementing a two-state solution in late July, where the declaration was approved.

The nearly two-year war in Gaza and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict are expected to be at the top of the agenda of world leaders at their annual gathering at the General Assembly starting on Sept 22. The Palestinians say they hope at least 10 more countries will recognise the state of Palestine, adding to the more than 145 countries that already do.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN ambassador, said the support for the resolution reflects “the yearning of almost everyone, the international community, to open the door for the option of peace.”

Without naming Israel, he said, “We invite a party that is still pushing the option of war and destruction, and attempts to eliminate the Palestinian people and steal their land, to listen to the sound of reason — to the sound of the logic of dealing with this issue peacefully, and for the overwhelming message that has resonated in this General Assembly today.”

But Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon dismissed the resolution as “theatre,” saying the only beneficiary is Hamas.

“This one-sided declaration will not be remembered as a step toward peace, only as another hollow gesture that weakens this assembly’s credibility,” he said.

The United States, Israel’s closest ally, reiterated its opposition to the New York Declaration and the General Assembly resolution endorsing implementation of the two-state solution.

The resolution “is yet another misguided and ill-timed publicity stunt that undermines serious diplomatic efforts to end the conflict,” US Mission counselor Morgan Ortagas said. “Make no mistake, this resolution is a gift to Hamas.”

The declaration condemns “the attacks committed by Hamas against civilians” in southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, a rare condemnation by Arab nations of Hamas.

The Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people, mainly Israeli civilians, and took about 250 hostage. Of those, 48 are still being held, including about 20 who are believed to be alive.

It also condemns Israel’s attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza and its “siege and starvation, which have produced a devastating humanitarian catastrophe and protection crisis.” Israel’s offensive against Hamas has killed over 64,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants.

The declaration envisions the Palestinian Authority governing and controlling all Palestinian territory, with a transitional administrative committee immediately established under its umbrella after a ceasefire in Gaza.

“In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority,” the declaration says.

It also supports deployment of “a temporary international stabilisation mission” operating under UN auspices to protect Palestinian civilians, support the transfer of security to the Palestinian Authority and provide security guarantees for Palestine and Israel — “including monitoring of the ceasefire and of a future peace agreement.”

The declaration urges countries to recognise the state of Palestine, calling this “an essential and indispensable component of the achievement of the two-state solution.” Without naming Israel but clearly referring to it, the document says “illegal unilateral actions are posing an existential threat to the realisation of the independent state of Palestine."

'State sponsor of terror': Pakistan invites burn in 4 seconds after lawyer mentions Osama at UN

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 13: Pakistan has managed to drag itself into an embarrassment of its own making at the UN, leading to a burn that's now going viral on social media. Seven words delivered in less than four seconds is all it took — “Pakistan is another state sponsor of terror” — something India has underlined for decades.

But the stage and the drama turned the moment into an internet phenomenon.

It was a lawyer working for UN Watch, an independent body overseeing the United Nations, who delivered the punchline. Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, was speaking about Qatar allegedly "harbouring terrorists". The UN council was hearing his points on Israel's recent bombings in Doha that killed some leaders of the Palestinian group Hamas.

Neuer accused Qatar of being a state sponsor of terror and said it should not have given shelter to Hamas leaders. “If you don’t want targeted bombings against terrorists in your capital, why do you harbour terrorists in your capital?” Neuer, who is Canadian, argued.

To make his point about alleged hypocrisy, he said that UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres and French President Emmanuel Macron had condemned Israel for hitting targets inside Qatar. “But when the US killed Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan, the UN chief at the time celebrated that ‘justice has been done to such a mastermind of international terrorism’. France called it a ‘victory for all democracies’,” Neuer said.

As he continued, Pakistan's representative raised a point of order – an objection – and argued that the arguments violate the sovereignty of countries. “We reject unfounded accusations and allegations,” the Pakistan rep said. Earlier, Pakistan condemned Israel's actions in Qatar as “unlawful and heinous”.

But the chairperson ruled that Pakistan's express objection was merely about procedure and “not substantive”.

That's when the drama peaked.

The council president gave UN Watch another four seconds, precisely.

Hillel Neuer barely took three of those to say: “Mr president, Pakistan is another state sponsor of terror.” And he finished.

He shared the clip on his X handle, which had got over 2 million views in less than three days till September 12 night.

A debate raged in the comments and replies at his argument.