'October 7 attack equal to sixteen 9/11s': Israeli PM Netanyahu in UN speech

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on October 7, 2023, that the Hamas attack on his country was equivalent to 16 September 11 attacks in the United States. He recounted the deadly assault, in which around 1,200 Israelis were killed, including many Holocaust survivors, and 251 were taken hostage. Netanyahu described the Hamas militants' actions as barbaric, including burning babies, beheading men, and raping women.

He emphasized that, proportionally, this equates to 40,000 American lives lost within 24 hours, representing 16 times the impact of 9/11.

The Israeli leader delivered his remarks at the UN, amid widespread condemnation from world leaders for Israel's ongoing war in Gaza, with accusations of genocide against Palestinians. Netanyahu rejected these allegations, calling them "the biggest lie of the century". When many delegates walked out in protest, he referred to them as "moral cowards".

Netanyahu defended Israel's actions against Iran, stating it was one of the simplest decisions he had to make. He thanked former US President Donald Trump for his role in eliminating Iran's nuclear program. He also spoke about Israeli settlers in the West Bank, describing them as a "handful of young juvenile delinquents" and accusing foreign leaders and media of exaggerating the violence.

His speech came at a time when Israel faced increasing criticism over its conduct in Gaza, where the Gaza Health Ministry reported at least 73,922 Palestinian deaths, and Israel maintains control over significant portions of the territory.