Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held up a pager during his address to the UN General Assembly on Thursday, invoking Israel’s September 2024 operation targeting Hezbollah’s communications network in Lebanon.
“Israel struck Hamas, we struck Hezbollah. Remember the beepers?” Netanyahu said, displaying the device before the UNGA audience.
"You remember the beepers? Remember these things? Remember them? Well, I can tell you this Hezbollah certainly remembers them. Guess what happened to the bulk of the vast arsenal of 150,000 ballistic missiles and rockets? All aimed at our civilians. They're gone," The Israeli PM said.
Deep Dive
What incident did Netanyahu refer to involving pagers during his UN speech?
Why did delegates walk out during Netanyahu's speech at the UN General Assembly?
How did Netanyahu characterize the conflict involving Israel and its adversaries in his speech?
Netanyahu was referring to the September 17, 2024, explosions in which thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah members detonated across Lebanon and parts of Syria. The blasts killed 12 people and wounded almost 3,000, said a BBC report at that time.
{{/usCountry}}Netanyahu was referring to the September 17, 2024, explosions in which thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah members detonated across Lebanon and parts of Syria. The blasts killed 12 people and wounded almost 3,000, said a BBC report at that time.
{{/usCountry}}Hezbollah blamed Israel for the operation, while Israel did not publicly acknowledge its role until November 2024, when Netanyahu reportedly admitted for the first time that Israel was behind the attack. Reports said the devices had apparently been compromised before reaching Hezbollah members.
The explosions caused casualties not only among Hezbollah members but also among civilians. Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was also injured, Iranian media said that his injuries were minor.
Netanyahu's appearance at the UN comes as he faces a closely fought election campaign in Israel, with the October 27 polls approaching.
‘Seven-front war’
The Israeli prime minister also described Israel's broader conflict as a “seven-front war”, naming Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Iran, militias in Iraq, militias in Syria and Palestinian militants in the West Bank.
“In the last three years, our heroic soldiers have fought a war on seven fronts. Do you know of any other country the size of New Jersey that can fight for three years on seven fronts?” Netanyahu said.
“They organized to erase us from the face of the Earth. Instead of collapsing, we delivered devastating blows to all of them with our great American friends and crushed the Iranian army and its nuclear facilities.”
Netanyahu also defended Israel's decision to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, saying it “was one of the easiest decisions I've ever had to make.”
Walk out during Netanyahu speech
The speech also drew a sharp reaction inside the UN General Assembly hall, with dozens of delegates walking out as Netanyahu began speaking. Some delegates jeered and booed, while members of the Israeli delegation applauded, news agency AFP reported.
The Israeli premiere said, “If there are any other moral cowards who haven't left this hall, please do so now".
Netanyahu also accused Turkey of backing Hamas and called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a “tyrant”. Turkey's presidential communications director Burhanettin Duran dismissed the remarks as “baseless accusations” that were “incompatible” with UN ideals, according to Ankara-base news outlet Anadolu.
He devoted particular attention to Iran, referring to its government as a “murderous dictatorship”.
“I vowed to prevent Iran's murderous dictatorship from developing atomic bombs, nuclear weapons aimed at destroying Israel, nuclear weapons that could threaten the entire world,” he said.
He also said the fall of Iran's leadership was not “far”, while pointing to the Iranian delegation's vacant desk, where a portrait of slain Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani had been displayed.
(With AFP inputs)