Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has vowed that Israel will continue its military operations until its objectives are met, even as tensions escalate on both the Gaza and Lebanon fronts.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, Netanyahu issued a stern warning to Iran, stating, “If you strike us, we will strike you.”
“There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach, and that’s true of the entire Middle East,” Netanyahu declared during his address, as delegates from Lebanon and the Palestinian territories walked out in protest, AFP reports.
Earlier, protesters gathered outside Netanyahu’s New York hotel, demanding an end to the ongoing violence in Gaza and Lebanon. The protests came in response to continued cross-border exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel, which began after Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel.
Netanyahu reaffirmed his stance against a ceasefire, despite a 21-day truce proposal put forth by the United States and France. “It is an American-French proposal, which the prime minister has not even responded to,” said a statement from Netanyahu’s office.
Israel has intensified strikes on Lebanon, where over 700 people have died in recent bombings. The UN called the situation Lebanon’s “deadliest period in a generation,” with a death toll exceeding 1,500 people after nearly a year of clashes.
