Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to deliver a defiant message to the UN on Friday against a Palestinian state, but faces rare pressure from US President Donald Trump who seeks a deal on Gaza.
Netanyahu will address the United Nations General Assembly days after France, Britain and several other Western powers took the landmark step of recognizing a state of Palestine, acting out of exasperation over Israel's relentless two-year offensive in Gaza, AFP said.
The longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history has long rejected a Palestinian state and his far-right allies have mulled annexing the West Bank to kill any real prospect of an independent Palestine.
But Trump, normally a staunch ally of Netanyahu, has warned against annexation as he pitches a peace plan on Gaza that would include the disarmament of Hamas, whose grisly October 7, 2023 attack triggered the Israeli reprisals.
"I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank," Trump told reporters at the White House. "No, I will not allow it. It's not going to happen."
Trump spoke on Thursday by telephone with Netanyahu, who is expected to head Monday to Washington.
With Netanyahu facing an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over war crime allegations, including using starvation as a weapon, the Israeli prime minister took an unusual route to New York that included flying over the narrow Strait of Gibraltar.
Steve Witkoff, Trump's real-estate friend turned global negotiator, was seen entering the tightly guarded luxury hotel where Netanyahu was staying in Manhattan.
Around 20 protesters and a similar number of Netanyahu supporters were spotted outside.
"War criminals don't deserve any peace of mind. They don't deserve any sleep," said Andrea Mirez, a young woman among the protesters.
Activists have planned a march from Times Square on Friday that will call for Netanyahu's arrest, to coincide with his speech.
Israel's offensive has killed more than 65,500 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to health ministry figures in the Hamas-run territory that the United Nations considers reliable.
The October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas killed 1,219 people, also mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally from Israeli official figures, in the deadliest day in the country's history.
'It must end now'
French President Emmanuel Macron called a special summit Monday that led to recognition of a Palestinian state by France, Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal, among other Western powers.
Western governments said they were frustrated by Israel, which in recent weeks pressed ahead with a massive new offensive in Gaza, where virtually the entire population has already been displaced.
"What is happening in Gaza is indefensible, it is inhumane, it is utterly unjustifiable and it must end now," British Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy told the General Assembly on Thursday.
Netanyahu has lashed out at Western critics and at the United Nations, which he calls biased. He has also not been afraid to defy Trump, pursuing military action in Iran, Qatar and Syria despite US diplomatic efforts.
"I think that Netanyahu's tone will be strident in the extreme," said Richard Gowan, who follows the United Nations for the International Crisis Group.
"He is not coming to the UN to defend or explain his campaign in Gaza. He is coming to castigate the UN as an institution for its failure to back Israel, and in particular to condemn those countries that recognized Palestine earlier this week," he said.
Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas addressed the General Assembly on Thursday by video after the United States took the rare step of refusing him a visa.
Abbas said there should be no future for Hamas, which is a rival to his Palestinian Authority, and condemned both the October 7 attacks and antisemitism.
Gowan doubted that Abbas's speech would affect Netanyahu.
"It is clear that Netanyahu is not just opposed to the idea of a Palestinian state run by Hamas, but to the basic idea of a Palestinian state, period," Gowan said.
