Netanyahu to Hamas: ‘Free the Hostages. All of them. The Whole 48.’

A central and desperate plea in Benjamin Netanyahu’s otherwise defiant UN speech was his demand for the release of Israeli hostages. “Let my people go. Free the hostages. All of them. The whole 48. Free the hostages now,” he implored, before issuing a threat to Hamas leaders.
This demand was part of a broader, aggressive address delivered amidst a mass diplomatic walkout. Netanyahu vowed to hunt down Hamas leaders if they did not surrender and release the captives, combining a humanitarian appeal with a military threat.
The rest of his speech focused on rejecting international pressure. He condemned the recognition of a Palestinian state as “sheer madness” and promised to “finish the job” in Gaza, regardless of the global outcry over the humanitarian situation.
The call to free the hostages, now held for nearly two years, remains a potent and emotional issue within Israel. By highlighting it at the UN, Netanyahu aimed to remind the world of the initial cause of the war, even as the global focus has shifted to the devastating consequences of Israel’s response.