Israeli Army 'Take Control' Of Gaza Phones To Stream Netanyahu's UN Speech

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday said that his country "must finish the job" against Hamas in Gaza. In a defiant speech at the United Nations General Assembly, he expressed his refusal to end the war with Gaza. 

Moreover, back home in Israel, the government had taken unprecedented steps to make sure that those in Gaza and others listened to his speech. At the Israel-Gaza border, the military had set up loudspeakers that blasted his words.

According to a report by the Associated Press, the prime minister's office said that an "unprecedented operation" has been launched wherein the army would take over the phones of Gaza residents and Hamas operatives so that Netanyahu's speech could be broadcast live through their devices.

"The Prime Minister's Office instructed civilian entities, in cooperation with the IDF, to place loudspeakers on trucks on the Israeli side of the Gaza border only," the PMO added, "with the aim of broadcasting Prime Minister Netanyahu's historic speech today at the UN General Assembly into the Gaza Strip."

As he began, dozens of delegates walked off from the Assembly hall en masse. Even during his speech there were unintelligible shouts echoing from across the hall. 

"Western leaders may have buckled under the pressure," Netanyahu said. "And I guarantee you one thing: Israel won't."

The Israeli PM has been accused of war crimes amid pressure to end the Gaza conflict. Friday's speech was his chance to push back on the international community's biggest platform.

He wore a special hostages pin with a QR code that led to a site about October 7, and held up a visual aid - a map of the region titled "THE CURSE". 

"Anti-semitism dies hard. In fact, it doesn't die at all," Netanyahu said.

Now, 150 countries recognise the Palestinian state, but the US does not. Despite that, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would not let Israel annex the occupied West Bank.

"I will tell our truth," Netanyahu said. "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."

Israel hasn't announced such a move, but several leading members in Netanyahu's government have advocated doing so. And officials recently approved a controversial settlement project that would effectively cut the West Bank in two, a move that critics say could doom chances for a Palestinian state. Trump and Netanyahu are scheduled to meet during his visit.