"Stop killing children!" As Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, arrived in New York, USA, home to the United Nations headquarters, on the 26th (local time) to attend the UN General Assembly, large-scale anti-war protests have been continuously held locally. Amid growing international demands for a ceasefire against Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu is scheduled to deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly the following morning.
Anti-war protests erupt across New York on Netanyahu's arrival day
According to ABC7 New York and others, thousands gathered near Bryant Park and Grand Central Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the day before Netanyahu’s general debate speech at the UN General Assembly to hold anti-war protests condemning Israel. They marched toward the UN headquarters, urging Netanyahu and Israel to stop the war in Gaza and airstrikes in Lebanon.
Small-scale anti-war protests were also confirmed near the UN headquarters, where access was restricted during the General Assembly. One speaker shouted, "Netanyahu will lie to the world on Friday (the 27th, the day of the UN General Assembly speech)," and called to "stop killing children, end the war, sign agreements, and release hostages." The anti-war protests are expected to continue on the day of Netanyahu’s speech and over the weekend. At one point that morning in Manhattan, a group supporting the Palestinian side occupied roads to block Netanyahu’s entry into the city, causing chaos.
Philisa Wisdom, head of the New York Jewish Agenda, one of the groups organizing the protests, told The Guardian, "There is no solution other than a diplomatic one," adding, "We are making sure this message reaches Netanyahu, the government, and all peaceful allies concerned about the lives of Israelis and Palestinians." Zahiro Shahar Mor, a family member of a recently deceased hostage, criticized Netanyahu’s UN speech, saying, "It is ridiculous that the world accepts and applauds this." Piprian Pulihan, director of PFED, who also participated in the protests, told ABC7 New York, "The U.S. is granting immunity by allowing Netanyahu to speak at the UN. Americans do not agree with this," and added, "We cannot accept that our taxes are being used to kill men, women, and children in Palestine and Lebanon."
Since the surprise attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas in October last year, Israel has been continuing the war in Gaza and recently shifted its focus to the northern front where Hezbollah is located, launching airstrikes since the 23rd. With about 700 casualties already, the Israeli military announced it conducted airstrikes on approximately 220 Hezbollah targets that day. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at least 92 people were confirmed dead in the last 24 hours due to Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon. Hezbollah also responded by launching 100 rockets toward northern Israel that day.
U.S. and others propose '21-day ceasefire'... Israel says "No ceasefire"
Accordingly, the international community is increasingly concerned that, as the Gaza war approaches its one-year mark, ceasefire and hostage release negotiations may not be concluded and the conflict could escalate from Lebanon to the broader Middle East region. Currently, a '21-day temporary ceasefire' aimed at halting airstrikes between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon is being promoted under U.S. leadership in connection with the UN General Assembly, but Israel has drawn a line by stating "there will be no ceasefire" for now.
In a statement released immediately after arriving in New York, Netanyahu emphasized, "We will continue to attack Hezbollah with all our might." Earlier, foreign media reported that Netanyahu had ordered the military to reduce the intensity of airstrikes in Lebanon, but the Israeli Prime Minister’s office confirmed that the report was false. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Katz also stated via a post on X (formerly Twitter), "There will be no ceasefire in the north," adding, "We will continue fighting against the Hezbollah terrorist organization until victory and until northern residents can safely return home."
The New York Times (NYT) reported, citing anonymous sources, that senior Israeli officials including Netanyahu’s close aide Ron Dermer have held private discussions with U.S. officials about the possibility of a ceasefire. The Guardian also reported that U.S. officials hope Netanyahu will be persuaded to accept a ceasefire proposal before his UN General Assembly speech. The 21-day ceasefire plan announced by the White House the previous night has received support from Australia, Canada, the European Union (EU), France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Qatar.
Before a ceasefire is achieved in Gaza, Hezbollah has repeatedly stated it will not stop launching rockets, missiles, and drones at Israel. The pro-Iran Houthi rebels in Yemen also launched missiles toward Israel that day, declaring they would not hesitate to support Lebanon and Hezbollah. Like Hezbollah, the Houthi rebels have attacked Israel in solidarity with Hamas since Hamas’s airstrike on Israel on October 7 last year.
Attention on Netanyahu’s UN General Assembly speech... Palestine criticizes as "massacre, crime"
The international community’s focus is on Netanyahu’s scheduled speech at the UN General Assembly on the 27th. With increasing pressure for a ceasefire, the key question is what signal Netanyahu will send. Netanyahu’s general debate speech at the UN General Assembly will be the third in the morning session starting at 9 a.m. Eastern Time, following Slovenia and Palestine. It is scheduled to take place at night Korean time.
The NYT reported, citing anonymous sources, that senior Israeli officials including Netanyahu’s close aide Ron Dermer have held private talks with U.S. officials about the possibility of a ceasefire. The Guardian also reported that U.S. officials hope Netanyahu will be persuaded to accept a ceasefire proposal before his UN General Assembly speech. The 21-day ceasefire plan announced by the White House the previous night has received support from Australia, Canada, the European Union (EU), France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Qatar.
Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority, who spoke before Netanyahu, strongly criticized Israel’s actions as "massacre and international crime," urging to "stop the massacre and stop sending weapons to Israel." He accused the U.S. government of aiding this violence by supplying weapons to Israel. He also appealed to world leaders to mediate a peace agreement that could end the war in Gaza. At the event, applause erupted as soon as he appeared on the podium, and standing ovations followed his speech.
On the other hand, Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, pointed out that during Abbas’s 26-minute speech, "Hamas" was never mentioned, stating, "Abbas did not criticize Hamas’s crimes against humanity on October 7 last year."
Abdullah Bou Habib, Lebanon’s Foreign Minister, also urged the implementation of the "21-day ceasefire" proposed the previous day by the U.S., France, and others during his UN General Assembly speech, saying, "The very existence of Lebanon is under threat." He added, "Diplomacy is not easy, but it is the only way to save innocent lives," emphasizing, "There is no other way." Najib Mikati, Lebanon’s Prime Minister, who attended the emergency UN Security Council meeting convened the previous day to discuss the Lebanon situation, criticized Israel for violating Lebanon’s sovereignty.
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