Hamas slams Netanyahu’s ‘blatant lies’ at UN assembly

Attendees walk out of the United Nations Security Council meeting as Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon begins his speech on the escalation in fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah during the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York, on Wednesday. REUTERS

Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of telling “blatant lies” in his speech to the UN General Assembly on Friday.

Netanyahu “continued his series of blatant lies and escalated his threats against the peoples of the region, while… expanding his circle of crimes to include our people in Lebanon”, a statement from the Palestinian group said.

Delegates representing Lebanon, Iran, the Palestinians and others exited the room as Netanyahu took the rostrum for his speech, where he dashed hopes for a 21-day truce in the offensive against Hezbollah proposed by France and the US.

As the one-year anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war approaches, hundreds of people have died in Israeli strikes on Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon this week.

Hamas accused Netanyahu of “repeating the same lies he has used to justify the campaign of extermination against unarmed civilians in Gaza” and “false claims” about the group’s October 7 attacks that triggered the war.

Netanyahu “insists on expanding aggression against the peoples of the region and continuing his brutal crimes, backed by a criminal US policy that provides political and military cover for these crimes”, the statement said.