Approaching the two-year anniversary of the October 7 attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the world that the core mission of the subsequent war remains incomplete. In a defiant UN speech, he insisted that Israel “must finish the job” in Gaza.
This admission that the war’s objectives have not yet been met, nearly 24 months into a devastating conflict, underscores the intractable nature of the campaign. Netanyahu identified the “final remnants of Hamas” in Gaza City as the last hurdle, suggesting a bloody final chapter to an already catastrophic war.
His declaration was met with a potent symbol of global impatience and disapproval: a mass walkout of over 100 diplomats. The world has grown weary of the conflict, the staggering humanitarian toll, and the lack of a political endgame, a sentiment reflected in the 157 nations now recognizing a Palestinian state.
By framing the war as an unfinished but necessary task, Netanyahu attempts to justify its continuation. However, for much of the global community, his speech sounded less like a progress report and more like a commitment to an endless cycle of violence.