Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he will use his upcoming United Nations speech to "tell the truth" about Israel's actions, even as the war with Hamas grinds on in the third year of the conflict. The speech lands in the middle of a machinery that keeps feeding on civilians: Israeli authorities say about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were abducted in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, while Gaza health officials say more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting.
The State's Story, the Body Count
Netanyahu framed his UN appearance as a chance to defend Israel's conduct. The timing is the point. Israel has carried out air and ground operations in Gaza aimed at dismantling Hamas' military and governing capabilities, a phrase that neatly bundles together bombs, occupation-style force, and the destruction of whatever civil structure exists under Hamas rule. The result, according to Gaza health officials, is a death toll that has climbed past 73,000 Palestinians, with casualties including both fighters and civilians. The numbers sit there, blunt and ugly, while the state apparatus on each side keeps talking in the language of necessity.
Israel denies genocide and says it is fighting Hamas militants. Hamas, for its part, remains the armed and governing force in Gaza, a reminder that the territory's people are trapped between rival authorities claiming legitimacy through force. One side says it is dismantling the other's military and governing capabilities. The other side is accused of using civilians as cover. Ordinary people get the bill either way.
Rival Authorities, Same Logic
The Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel killed about 1,200 people and led to 251 abductions, according to Israeli authorities. That attack became the opening justification for Israel's current campaign in Gaza. Since then, the war has continued through airstrikes and ground operations, with the Israeli state presenting itself as the only actor capable of restoring order, security, and truth. Hamas presents itself as resistance while holding governing power in Gaza. Both rely on armed hierarchy. Both demand obedience. Both turn civilians into leverage.
Netanyahu's promise to "tell the truth" at the United Nations also lands inside the usual diplomatic theater, where states speak as if the institution can stand above the violence they themselves produce. The UN stage gives every government a microphone and very little else. Israel will defend its actions there. Hamas won't be in the room. The people of Gaza, who have borne the heaviest losses reported in this article, certainly won't be running the show.
The Human Cost Beneath the Speeches
Gaza health officials say more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict. That figure includes fighters and civilians, which is exactly what modern state war does: it collapses the distinction on the ground while officials argue over categories in press statements. Israel says it is targeting Hamas militants and accuses Hamas of using civilians as cover. Hamas, meanwhile, remains embedded in the governing structure of Gaza. The population is left under bombardment, under rule, and under the permanent logic of emergency.
Netanyahu's UN speech will be sold as a defense of Israel's actions. Hamas will continue to justify its own armed rule as resistance. The international stage will host the performance. The dead will not get a turn.