Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to address the UN General Assembly this afternoon (4 p.m. Cyprus time). Ahead of the speech, his office instructed the military to relay the address throughout the Gaza Strip via loudspeakers. Despite internal reservations reported in local media, the army is preparing to carry out the order, according to Haaretz, which first reported the plan.
Trump’s two-day push: Hostages, ceasefire and a post-war plan
In New York, U.S. President Donald Trump has sharpened his messaging around Gaza. Speaking at the UN earlier this week, he condemned recent moves by Western allies to recognize a Palestinian state and said the immediate priority is securing the release of hostages alongside a ceasefire, Reuters reported. His Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said the administration is “optimistic” about announcing “significant progress” in the coming days.
Pledge on annexation, per reports
Trump has also told Arab and Muslim leaders he would not allow Israel to annex parts of the West Bank as part of any broader roadmap, an assurance reported by Al Jazeera, which cited U.S. and regional sources familiar with the talks. Trump presented a 21-point outline under discussion that includes a permanent ceasefire, staged Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and a non-Hamas governance mechanism backed by regional contributors.
The wider picture: A war that still rages, a diplomacy that keeps moving
The fighting in Gaza continues as Netanyahu arrives at the UN under mounting criticism from Western capitals over the conduct and duration of Israel’s campaign. In recent days, several Western governments -including France and Britain- have advanced recognition of a Palestinian state, moves that formed part of the backdrop to Trump’s remarks and the diplomatic flurry around New York this week, Reuters noted.
Ground operations and airstrikes in Gaza have persisted through September, with the UN secretary-general calling the situation “morally, politically and legally intolerable,” as Reuters reported in an earlier battlefield assessment. The humanitarian and security dynamics remain fluid, and any immediate breakthroughs will hinge on parallel tracks: a hostage deal, a durable ceasefire, and an agreed post-war administration for Gaza that satisfies Israeli security demands and regional red lines.