Netanyahu Says October 7 Attack On Israel Is Like 9/11 Happening 16 Times

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu drew a stark comparison between the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and the September 11 attacks in the US, saying the assault was equivalent to "16 9/11s" when measured against Israel's population.

Speaking before the United Nations General Assembly, Netanyahu said around 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 people were taken hostage in the Hamas-led attack.

Netanyahu sought to put the scale of the attack into perspective for an American audience, comparing Israel's losses with the size of its population.

"These Hamas monsters, they slaughtered Holocaust survivors. They burned babies alive in front of their parents. They beheaded our men. They brutally raped our women. And then they murdered them. Altogether, they slaughtered 1,200 Israelis that day. I want to give you an idea of what this means for a country of 10 million. Proportionately, this is equal to 40,000 innocent Americans slaughtered in less than 24 hours. That's 16 times 9/11. 16 9/11s that occurred not very far from here. On that darkest of days, our enemies expected us to collapse. Well, we didn't collapse. Instead, we rose and fought like lions."

His comments came as Israel faces mounting international criticism over its military campaign in Gaza, with several world leaders accusing the Israeli government of genocide against Palestinians.

Netanyahu rejected those allegations, calling claims that Israel is committing genocide "the biggest lie of the century".

Mass Walkout As Netanyahu Speaks

As Netanyahu took to the rostrum, officials walked out of the General Assembly meeting in protest, to which he responded, describing them as "moral cowards." His supporters in the gallery chanted in Hebrew, "The people of Israel live."

"In defending itself, Israel is also defending many of the countries whose delegates just left this hall," Netanyahu said. "In fact, I want you to know that many of their leaders even thank us privately for taking out Iran's nukes."

He also defended Israel's military action against Iran, describing the decision to strike Tehran as "one of the easiest decisions I've ever had to make". Netanyahu thanked US President Donald Trump for his actions against Iran.

Netanyahu Addresses West Bank Settler Violence

The Israeli leader also faced questions surrounding violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Netanyahu described those responsible as a "handful of young juvenile delinquents" and sought to distance his government from vigilantism.

"I can't stand that. I won't stand for vigilantism," he said, while also accusing foreign leaders and international media of overstating the extent of settler violence.

His address came as Israel continues its military operations in Gaza amid intense international scrutiny.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 73,922 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's subsequent offensive. Israel continues to control large parts of the territory and maintains military operations there.