Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered his speech at 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session on Friday in New York with focus on the “curse of Iran’s terror axis”.

As Netanyahu walked to the podium to begin his speech, many United Nations delegates – mostly Muslim and Arab ones, in the hall started to get up and walk out.

He held up a map he used last year of the Middle East that he says shows the spread of that “curse.”

“It shows the curse of Iran’s terror axis. This axis threatened the peace of the entire world. It threatened the stability of our region and the very existence of my country,” he said.

The prime minister then went on to list Israel’s military actions:

“So what’s happened over the past year? We’ve hammered the Houthis, including yesterday. We crushed the bulk of Hamas’s terror machine. We crippled Hezbollah, taking out most of its leaders and much of its weapons arsenal,” he said.

Israel has devastated Iran’s atomic weapons and ballistic missile program, he added.

“So here’s where things stand today. Half the Houthi leadership in Yemen gone. Yahya Sinwar in Gaza gone. Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon gone. The Assad regime in Syria gone… Those militias in Iraq? Well, they’re still deterred. And their leaders, if they attack Israel, will also be gone. And for Iran’s top military commanders and its top atomic bomb scientists, well, they’re gone too,” said Netanyahu, crossing them out on his map.

The Israeli leader gave credit to Trump for his aid in the attacks on Iran that he said “devastated Iran’s atomic weapon and ballistic missiles program.”

“I want to thank President Trump for his bold and decisive action,” he said.

“We removed an existential threat to Israel and a mortal threat to the civilized world. We lifted a dark cloud that could have claimed millions and millions of lives.”

Netanyahu said the speech was being broadcast to Gaza, and addressed Hamas directly, raising his voice.

“Lay down your arms. Let my people go. Free the hostages. All of them. The whole 48. Free the hostages. Now. If you do, you will live. If you don’t, Israel will hunt you down.”

Families of hostages and survivors of captivity gathered outside the United Nations headquarters ahead of Netanyahu’s address.

They called for an immediate agreement to secure the release of the 48 remaining hostages and an end to the war, according to the Hostages Families Forum, which represents many of the relatives of those held in Gaza since October 7, 2023.

During his speech, Netanyahu listed the names of the 20 hostages believed to still be alive.

“I want to do something I’ve never done before. I want to speak from this forum directly to those hostages through loudspeakers. I’ve surrounded Gaza with massive loudspeakers connected to this microphone in the hope that our dear hostages will hear my message,” he said.

Charges of genocide are false, Netanyahu says

Israel has denied carrying out genocide or deliberately targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure during its military operation in Gaza.

It says it is acting in self-defense after the October 7, 2023, attack led by Palestinian Hamas militants that killed 1,200 people and in which more than 250 were taken hostage.

Netanyahu addressed the issue again on Friday.

“Take the false charge of genocide. Israel is accused of deliberately targeting civilians. Ladies and gentlemen, the opposite is true,” he said to the U.N.

“This charge is so baseless. The comparison to genocide, wholesale slaughter of populations. What, did the Nazis ask the Jews to leave?,” he said.

A United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded last week that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.

Israel dismissed the findings as biased and based on unverified evidence.

In almost two years of fighting, Israel’s fierce offensive has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and demolished most of the structures in the tiny enclave, which is now gripped by hunger and even famine.

South Africa has brought a case at the International Court of Justice in the Hague accusing Israel of genocide. Netanyahu has condemned that as “outrageous.”

Netanyahu’s vision of a Middle East future

Netanyahu ended his speech with a vision for a more peaceful future, and said Syria and Lebanon were key to that.

“Today we have begun serious negotiations with the new Syrian government,” he said, adding that he thought an agreement can be reached that respects Syria’s sovereignty, protects Israeli security and the security of the minorities in the region, including the Druze minority.

Peace between Lebanon and Israel is possible as well, he said.

“I believe that in the coming years, the Middle East will look dramatically different. Many of those who wage war on Israel today will be gone tomorrow,” he said.

“Nowhere will this be more true than in Iran. The long suffering Iranian people will regain their freedom. They will make Iran great again. And our two ancient peoples…the people of Israel and the people of Iran, will restore a friendship that will benefit the entire world.”