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Netanyahu to Hamas: “Lay down your arms. Let my people go. Free the hostages now. If you do, you will live. If you don’t, Israel will hunt you down.”
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s demanded Hamas to free captives and lay down arms and reproached certain countries for their “cowardice” in boycotting Israel or recognizing a Palestinian state in his UN speech on Friday.
The premier centered the speech on the hostages seized on Oct. 7, reading the names of 20 people Israel believes are still alive.
Netanyahu said his remarks were being carried “live” into Gaza—streamed to cellphones and blasted by loudspeakers—to reach both the captives and their captors.
Switching between Hebrew and English, he spoke directly to the abductees: “We have not forgotten you, not even for a second… We will not falter and we will not rest until we bring all of you home.”
Turning to the terrorist captors, he issued an ultimatum: “Lay down your arms. Let my people go. Free the hostages now. If you do, you will live. If you don’t, Israel will hunt you down.”
He added that the fighting could stop immediately if Hamas agreed to those conditions, saying Gaza would be demilitarized with Israel retaining overriding security control and a civilian authority “committed to peace” taking the reins.
Netanyahu then pivoted to countries that have condemned Israel or advanced recognition of a Palestinian state.
He said those moves send the message that “murdering Jews pays off,” and called the decisions “a mark of shame.” He argued that Palestinian celebrations after Oct. 7 show that such recognition rewards violence rather than peace.
He also pointed to what he described as incitement and “pay-for-slay” policies by the Palestinian Authority: naming squares and schools after those who kill Israelis and paying stipends to convicted terrorists.
Asserting domestic consensus, Netanyahu said Israel “will not allow you to shove a terror state down our throats,” noting a Knesset tally he described as more than 90% opposed to a Palestinian state after Oct. 7.
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