The IDF acknowledged Friday that loudspeakers transmitting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the United Nations had been placed inside the Gaza Strip, despite earlier assurances from the premier that they would remain on the Israeli side of the border. Palestinians dismissed the effort, saying they could not hear the speech or receive related messages.
The Prime Minister’s Office said Netanyahu, speaking live from UN headquarters in New York, announced that the IDF had taken control of the phones of Gaza residents and Hamas operatives. His office claimed the speech was broadcast directly through those devices.
Loudspeakers in Gaza
According to the statement, Netanyahu told Gaza residents the war could end immediately if all hostages were returned, Hamas was disarmed and the territory was demilitarized. “Those who do this will live. Those who do not will be hunted,” he said.
But residents inside Gaza mocked the initiative. “It’s just talk, nothing comes through,” several said in response to Israeli media reports.
Thousands of residents reportedly received phone messages during the speech urging them to leave combat zones. Palestinian reports claimed the full UN address was also sent to them, though many in Gaza said they never received the messages.
“Not even voice messages came through to our phones. There are only the sounds of bombings and tanks operating now,” said Suleiman, speaking from central Gaza. Another resident, Yazan Ahmad, said: “This shows how ordinary civilians have become a target for fear and propaganda instead of being protected and informed.”
Salah al-Jaafrawi, a well-known Gaza blogger, accused Israel of reviving methods used during World War II. “Israeli army trucks with loudspeakers blasting Netanyahu’s speech to Gaza refugees is a repeat of the way the Nazi army spread Hitler’s propaganda,” he said.
Earlier in the week, Netanyahu had told Israeli reporters that the loudspeakers would be set up only on Israel’s side of the border. But the IDF admitted Friday that they were also installed inside Gaza. Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor conveyed the order to forces in the field, though commanders were given discretion over where to place the sound systems, including in areas distant from civilian population centers.
“This week, during a meeting with the chief of staff and the defense minister, the prime minister instructed the IDF to help screen the atrocities video at the UN,” the military said in a statement. “He also asked for his speech to be played to Gaza residents above Hamas’ heads, as an influence and pressure campaign. From our perspective this is a legitimate mission, and loudspeakers have been used in multiple arenas before.”
The IDF said nine loudspeaker systems were deployed after Netanyahu formally requested the measure in writing. Some in the military questioned the order, with one officer saying: “The goal is just to film and show loudspeakers inside Gaza playing the speech, and it’s unfortunate that Southern Command cooperated.”
In his UN address, Netanyahu also spoke directly to the hostages in Gaza. Switching between Hebrew and English, he vowed not to let up until they were freed but emphasized that the war would only end once Hamas was dismantled.
He read aloud the names of 20 hostages officially classified as alive but did not mention Tamir Nimrodi and Bipin Joshi, whose fate is uncertain. Addressing the captives, he said: “Our heroic brothers, this is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking to you from the UN podium. We have not forgotten you for even a moment. The entire nation is with you. We will not rest and we will not relent until we bring you all home—both the living and the fallen.”