Israeli military loudspeaker systems have broadcast Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to the UN into Gaza in an unprecedented operation that immediately prompted controversy and outrage.
In a statement on Friday, an Israeli government spokesperson said: “As part of the public diplomacy effort, the prime minister’s office has directed civilian elements, in cooperation with the [Israel Defense Forces], to place loudspeakers on the backs of trucks on the Israeli side of the Gaza border so that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s historic UN general assembly speech will be heard in the Gaza Strip.”
In addition to the speaker systems, Netanyahu’s office claimed that the Israeli military had taken control of the telephones of Gaza residents “and Hamas members” to broadcast the speech – though there was no evidence from within the devastated Palestinian territory this actually took place.
“The prime minister has appealed to the residents of Gaza and made it clear that the war could end immediately upon the return of the hostages, the disarming of Hamas and the demilitarisation of the Strip … [and] stressed that whoever does so will live while those who do not will be hunted,” the government statement said.
Early reports on Friday morning that soldiers within Gaza had been deployed to set up or protect speakers prompted an outcry in Israel. Israeli media quoted military officers saying soldiers had been ordered on Thursday night to place loudspeakers inside Gaza and on the border.
The Times of Israel newspaper quoted a military spokesperson saying the broadcast campaign aimed to help return the 50 hostages still held in Gaza by Hamas since it launched its surprise raid into Israel in October 2023. About 1,200, mostly civilians, died in that attack, which triggered the war, and 250 were abducted. More than half of those hostages still in Gaza are thought to be dead.
In his speech, Netanyahu criticised western countries for recognising Palestine as a state and pledged to continue Israel’s offensive, which has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, injured 160,000 and reduced much of Gaza to ruins.
“We’re not done yet. The final remnants of Hamas are holed up in Gaza City. They want to repeat the atrocities of October 7th again and again,” he said.
Gaza’s civil defence agency – a rescue force operating under Hamas authority – reported at least 22 people killed since dawn across the territory, including 11 in Gaza City.
Images from the al-Shati refugee camp north of Gaza City showed heavy damage to buildings after an airstrike with facades blown off by blasts, while people including a barefooted young girl searched through rubble for belongings. Toppled poles created a web of powerless electric wires on the ground.
Much of Gaza has been reduced to ruin and UN-backed experts have declared famine in some parts. Hundreds of thousands of civilians remain in Gaza City out of an estimated population of about 1 million before Israel’s most recent offensive.
A senior officer quoted by Haaretz newspaper described the loudspeaker operation as “a crazy idea” without military benefit.
Reporters from the Associated Press inside Gaza said they saw no immediate evidence of Netanyahu’s speech being broadcast on phones there.
