His leadership strained by conflicts on two fronts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told world leaders at the United Nations on Friday that his nation will 含羞草研究社渃ontinue degrading Hezbollah含羞草研究社� until it achieves its goals along the Lebanon border, further dimming hopes for an internationally backed cease-fire to halt the spiral into an all-out regional war.

He said his government would no longer tolerate daily rocket fire from the area.

含羞草研究社淚srael has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their home safely. And that含羞草研究社檚 exactly what we含羞草研究社檙e doing 含羞草研究社� we含羞草研究社檒l continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met,含羞草研究社� Netanyahu said.

含羞草研究社淛ust imagine if terrorists turned El Paso and San Diego into ghost towns 含羞草研究社� How long would the American government tolerate that?含羞草研究社� he said, shaking his fist in emphasis. 含羞草研究社淵et Israel has been tolerating this intolerable situation for almost a year. Well, I含羞草研究社檝e come here today to say: Enough is enough.含羞草研究社�

Netanyahu, armed with visual aids as he has been in the past, defended his nation含羞草研究社檚 response to the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas on Israel that triggered an Israeli military operation that has devastated the Gaza Strip. He said he traveled to the United Nations to refute the untruths he had heard from other leaders on the same rostrum earlier in the week.

含羞草研究社淚 didn含羞草研究社檛 intend to come here this year. My country is at war fighting for its life,含羞草研究社� Netanyahu said. 含羞草研究社淏ut after I heard the lies and slanders leveled at my country by many of the speakers at this podium, I decided to come here and set the record straight.含羞草研究社�

He insisted that Israel wanted peace but said of Iran: 含羞草研究社淚f you strike us, we will strike you.含羞草研究社� He once again blamed Iran for being behind many of the problems in the region.

含羞草研究社淔or too long, the world has appeased Iran,含羞草研究社� Netanyahu said. 含羞草研究社淭hat appeasement must end.含羞草研究社�

Israel含羞草研究社檚 campaign in Gaza has killed more than 41,500 Palestinians and wounded more than 96,000 others, according to the latest figures released Thursday by the Health Ministry. The ministry, part of Gaza含羞草研究社檚 Hamas government, doesn含羞草研究社檛 differentiate between civilians and combatants, but more than half the dead have been , including about 1,300 children under the age of 2.

Israel has maintained its military operations are justified and are necessary to defend itself.

含羞草研究社淭his war can come to an end now. All that has to happen is for Hamas to surrender, lay down its arms and release all the hostages,含羞草研究社� Netanyahu said. 含羞草研究社淏ut if they don含羞草研究社檛 含羞草研究社� if they don含羞草研究社檛 含羞草研究社� we will fight until we achieve total victory. Total victory. There is no substitute for it. 含羞草研究社�

He said Israeli forces have destroyed 含羞草研究社�90%含羞草研究社� of Hamas含羞草研究社� rockets and killed or captured half of its forces.

In recent days, Israel has turned its attention to the border with Lebanon, where it is targeting Hezbollah militants and has inflicted civilian casualties as well. Hezbollah began attacking Israel almost immediately after the Hamas invasion, and ongoing fighting between Israel and the Lebanese militant group have driven tens of thousands of people from their homes on both sides of the border. Israel is vowing to step up its attacks on Hezbollah until its citizens can return safely to their homes.

Late Wednesday, the United States, France and other allies jointly to allow for negotiations as fears grow that the violent escalation in recent days 含羞草研究社� following 11 months of cross-border exchange of fire 含羞草研究社� could grow into an all-out war.

The United Nations says over 90,000 people have been displaced by five days of Israeli strikes on Lebanon, bringing the total to 200,000 people who have been displaced in Lebanon since Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Hamas after it stormed into Israel, sparking the .

As Netanyahu took the stage, there was enough ruckus in the audience that the presiding diplomat had to shout, 含羞草研究社淥rder, please.含羞草研究社�

The two speakers who preceded Netanyahu on Friday each made a point of calling out Israel for its actions. 含羞草研究社淢r. Netanyahu, stop this war now,含羞草研究社� Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said as he closed his remarks, pounding the podium. And Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking just before the Israeli leader, declared of Gaza: 含羞草研究社淭his is not just a conflict. This is systematic slaughter of innocent people of Palestine.含羞草研究社� He thumped the rostrum to audible applause.

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See more of AP含羞草研究社檚 coverage of the U.N. General Assembly at

Tia Goldenberg, The Associated Press