French President Emmanuel Macron used his own General Assembly address to sharply criticize Israel over Gaza and Judea and Samaria, while making the false claim that Hamas had never operated in the latter.
By United with Israel Staff
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres sharply criticized Israel over the war in Gaza on Tuesday, accusing it of the “collective punishment” of Palestinians and “systematic destruction” in the Strip as he delivered his final address to the UN General Assembly as secretary-general.
Guterres devoted a significant portion of his remarks on global conflicts to Gaza, declaring that the situation was approaching a “third monstrous year” and claiming that the scale of death and destruction surpassed any other conflict during his nearly decade-long tenure as UN chief.
He pointed to provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice in the genocide case against Israel and called for their immediate implementation. The ICJ has not ruled that Israel committed genocide, and Israel has strongly rejected the accusation, saying its military campaign was directed against Hamas and other terrorist groups rather than Gaza’s civilian population.
Guterres briefly addressed the Hamas-led October 7 massacre, saying that “nothing can justify” the terrorist attacks or the taking of hostages, before turning back to his criticism of Israel.
“Nothing can justify the horrific Hamas terror attacks of October 7 and taking of hostages, those of which I have repeatedly condemned,” Guterres said. “And nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people and the systematic destruction of Gaza.”
The secretary-general called for a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages and unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza. He also renewed his support for a two-state solution and demanded an end to Israeli settlement expansion and what he described as the threat of annexation.
Guterres’ criticism provided a stark backdrop for US President Donald Trump, who took the podium shortly afterward and placed the October 7 massacre, Gaza and the Iranian threat at the center of the early portion of his address.
Trump described Iran as the “number one sponsor of terror” and said the regime had spent decades spreading bloodshed and instability across the Middle East.
“The bully of the Middle East” is now “the bully no more,” Trump declared, reiterating that he would never allow Tehran to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Trump then directly linked Iran to the October 7 massacre, noting that the third anniversary of the Hamas attack was approaching.
He recalled how terrorists funded by Iran “tortured, mutilated, and killed 1,200 very innocent civilians,” including Americans and children, and pointed to the Iranian supreme leader’s celebration of the massacre.
Trump said previous leaders had failed to confront the Iranian threat, while his administration had taken direct military action against Tehran.
He touted Operation Midnight Hammer against Iran’s nuclear program and Operation Epic Fury, claiming that Iran’s navy, air force, air defenses and much of its missile and drone production capacity had been destroyed. Trump also called on countries around the world to maintain economic pressure on Tehran until it ends attacks on commercial shipping, abandons its nuclear ambitions and stops supporting terrorism.
In one of the strongest moments of the speech, Trump presented Iran with a stark choice between reaching an agreement with Washington and facing further devastating military action.
“Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before?” Trump asked. “Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?”
Despite the threat, Trump said he believed Tehran would ultimately agree to a deal, predicting that an agreement could come after the US midterm elections. He stressed that his overriding objective remained ensuring that “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump also used the General Assembly stage to contrast the situation in Gaza today with the war that was still raging when he addressed the UN a year earlier.
“One year ago, when I addressed the great leaders in this hall, the war in Gaza was still raging brutally,” Trump said. “The hostages were still deep in Hamas tunnels, and there was no end in sight.”
Trump credited diplomatic efforts launched on the sidelines of last year’s General Assembly with helping bring the war to an end several weeks later and securing the return of all remaining hostages, both living and dead.
“We also brought home all remaining hostages, both living and dead. Every single one of them,” he said.
Trump thanked the UN Security Council for unanimously endorsing his 20-point Gaza peace plan and approving the Board of Peace, which he chairs. He said nearly 30 countries had joined the initiative and highlighted billions of dollars committed to rebuilding and humanitarian relief, along with pledges of troops, police and training to stabilize Gaza.
Trump also took aim at the International Criminal Court, calling it a “rogue institution” and urging member states to withdraw. The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over allegations stemming from the Gaza war, accusations Israel rejects.
Later Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron used his own General Assembly address to sharply criticize Israel over Gaza and Judea and Samaria, while making the false claim that Hamas had never operated in the latter.
Macron defended international moves to recognize a Palestinian state and rejected arguments that such recognition was merely symbolic.
“Last year, right here, there were about a dozen countries that recognized Palestine,” Macron said. “I hear the cynicism of some people: ‘Recognition on paper, look at the reality.’ But what is our credibility if we continue to remain inactive in the face of Gaza?”
Macron also criticized the humanitarian situation in the Strip, arguing that the end of the war had failed to provide sufficient humanitarian access.
“Some boast of supposed ‘peace,’ but this peace did not open the humanitarian corridors even for a single second,” he said. “Should we look at this spectacle that shames us all? Never.”
Turning to Judea and Samaria, Macron accused Israel of daily violations and claimed Hamas had never operated there.
“Look at what is happening in the West Bank, where every day violations are committed. In whose name?” Macron said. “Hamas has never operated in the West Bank!”
The claim is false. Hamas has long maintained an active presence in Judea and Samaria, including local leadership and terrorist cells involved in planning and carrying out attacks against Israelis.
Macron argued that Israeli policies were making a future Palestinian state increasingly unviable and claimed that they ultimately weakened Israel’s own security.
“All those who claim that Israel’s security comes through violating the sovereignty of all its neighbors are making a fatal mistake,” Macron said. “They are weakening Israel’s security.”
The succession of speeches highlighted the deep divisions over Israel at this year’s General Assembly, with Guterres and Macron directing significant criticism at Jerusalem while Trump emphasized the October 7 massacre, the return of the hostages and the threat posed by Iran.
Attention will next turn to Netanyahu, who is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Thursday and has vowed to use the UN podium to defend Israel and the IDF against accusations over the war.
Netanyahu previewed that message Tuesday while responding to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has called the Israeli premier a “war criminal” and previously said he would seek to have him arrested pursuant to the International Criminal Court warrant against him.
“Shame on you, Mr. Mamdani,” Netanyahu said. “Shame on you for supporting the Hamas terrorist monsters who butchered our people. Shame on you for inciting riots against New York Jews.”
Netanyahu then turned to his upcoming appearance at the General Assembly.
“I’m coming to the UN,” he said. “I’m going to tell the truth about our heroic soldiers, and I’m going to tell the truth about you.”
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