By Olatunbosun Obafemi
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday condemned Western leaders who recently recognised a Palestinian state, vowing to challenge them in his upcoming address to the United Nations General Assembly.
Speaking at Ben Gurion airport before departing for the United States, Netanyahu accused world leaders of rewarding violence instead of holding militants accountable. “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,” he said in a statement from his office.
His remarks came days after France hosted a special summit on the sidelines of the General Assembly, where Britain, France and other governments announced recognition of Palestinian statehood amid the nearly two-year Gaza war. Netanyahu dismissed the moves as a “shameful capitulation of some leaders to Palestinian terror,” insisting they “do not obligate Israel in any way.”
The Israeli leader is scheduled to address the UN assembly on Friday and to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington for the fourth time since Trump’s return to office. Netanyahu said the talks would focus on securing the release of hostages, defeating Hamas, and expanding regional peace efforts.
US envoy Steve Witkoff suggested on Wednesday that a breakthrough on Gaza could be imminent, citing a “Trump 21-point plan for peace in the Mideast and Gaza” presented to Arab and Islamic leaders. He offered no details but said the proposal addressed both Israeli and regional concerns. “We’re hopeful, and I might say even confident, that in the coming days we’ll be able to announce some sort of breakthrough,” Witkoff told reporters.
Meanwhile, the war continued to exact a heavy toll in Gaza. Local civil defence officials said at least 11 people were killed Thursday when an Israeli air strike hit a home sheltering displaced families in central Gaza. The Israeli military has intensified ground operations in Gaza City in recent weeks, displacing hundreds of thousands of residents from the territory’s largest urban centre.
