Israeli PM Netanyahu to address UNGA session, meet world leaders: Report

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be visiting the US later this month to deliver a speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), a report in The Times of Israel has claimed, citing government officials.

The 79th session of the UNGA where world leaders will gather in New York will open on September 10 with Netanyahu expected to speak on September 26.

Netanyahu is expected to meet political bigwigs from across the globe on the sidelines of the session. Bibi last arrived in the US in late July for high-level meetings with US President Joe Biden and others.

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Danny Danon, Israeli ambassador to the UN who replaced Gilad Erdan, hinted last month that plans were in motion for Netanyahu to address the gathering.

“We are preparing the ground for the visit of the prime minister.I believe he will arrive – we don’t know what will happen tomorrow in Israel – but the plans are that he will come and speak in front of the General Assembly," he said at the time.

The UNGA meeting is expected to be dominated by the "Palestinian issue" as the Israeli war against Hamas nears its first anniversary.

“The theme ‘Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations’ has been proposed for the general debate at the seventy-ninth session,” the United Nations stated.

Netanyahu's last UNGA speech came two weeks before the start of the Israel-Hamas war. In the address, he spoke at length about the peace treaties that Israel had formed under previous US president Donald Trump's tenure, with several Arab countries.

Watch |Israel-Hamas War: Netanyahu 'pursuing personal interests' amid mounting pressure

Biden scolds Netanyahu

The news of Netanyahu visiting the US comes in the backdrop of Biden stating that the Israeli PM was not doing enough to secure ahostage-truce deal with Hamas that has been in the works for months.

Netanyahu is in favour of maintaining Israeli troops in the PhiladelphiCorridor for the six-week first phase of the ceasefire deal to prevent weapons smuggling from Egypt into Gaza.

However, the US, Qatar, and Egypt - currently brokering the deal with Hamas - believe that Netanyahu's demand could 'torpedo' the chance of reaching an agreement with Hamas.

Even the Israeli securityestablishment, led by Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has opposed the move, arguing that the new demand could blow up the talks and leave hostages at the mercy of Hamas militants.

(With inputs from agencies)