Israel’s prime minister told the U.N. General Assembly on Friday that Israel is “winning” in the fight against terrorists and their sponsors in Iran who carried out the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on his country.

“I have a message to the tyrants of Tehran,” said Benjamin Netanyahu. “If you beat us, we will beat you. There is no place – there is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach, and that applies to the entire Middle East.”

He said Israel’s soldiers had fought with “incredible courage and heroic sacrifice” over the past 11 months.

“And I have another message for this gathering and for the world outside this hall: We are winning,” Netanyahu said.

The Israeli prime minister took the stage to a mix of boos and cheers from the stands, where some visitors are allowed. A stream of diplomats rose from their seats and left the room as he took the stage.

But Netanyahu was not impressed.

He said Hamas must go and he would not accept its involvement in any post-war government structure in the Gaza Strip.

“Imagine, for those who say: well, Hamas has to stay, it has to be part of a post-war Gaza. Imagine a post-war situation in World War II. “Imagine allowing the defeated Nazis to rebuild Germany in 1945,” he told the UN General Assembly. “It’s unimaginable. It’s ridiculous. That didn’t happen then, it won’t happen now.”

Turning to Lebanon, where last week saw a dangerous and deadly escalation between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters, Netanyahu said Israel must defeat them too so that thousands of Israeli citizens return to their homes in northern Israel could.

“I came here today to say enough is enough!” he said. “We will not rest until our citizens can safely return to their homes. We will not accept that there is a terrorist army on our northern border capable of carrying out another October 7-style massacre.”

Shortly after Netanyahu spoke, Israeli forces reportedly attacked Hezbollah’s headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

The Israeli leader described the situation in the region as a battle between the forces of good and evil – Israel is fighting the evil forces of terrorism in the Middle East.

“Yes, we defend ourselves, but we also defend you against the common enemy that seeks to destroy our way of life through violence and terror,” he said.

The prime minister condemned countries that have accused Israel of genocide in Gaza. And he tried to pre-empt possible arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court in The Hague – sought by Netanyahu’s chief prosecutor and his defense minister Yoav Gallant over their prosecution of the war and civilian suffering, saying it all comes down to anti-Semitism.

“The real war criminals are not in Israel, but in Iran. They are in Gaza, in Syria, in Lebanon, in Yemen,” Netanyahu said.

Despite his hard line, the Israeli prime minister said his government wanted peace. He pointed to the success of the Abraham Accords brokered by former US President Donald Trump, which led to peace agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain and Sudan. Although these are landmark agreements, they are all with nations with which Israel has never been at war.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the gathering the day before Netanyahu and called for an end to his people’s suffering.

“Stop this crime. Stop it now. Stop killing children and women. Stop the genocide. Stop sending weapons to Israel,” Abbas said. “This madness cannot continue. The whole world is responsible for what is happening to our people in Gaza and the West Bank.”

Shortly before Netanyahu spoke on Friday, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob told the gathering that he had met two Palestinian girls – Sara and Rand – who told him they just wanted a normal life and asked for his help. He said he was fulfilling his promise to bring their message to New York.

“I want to say loud and clear to the Israeli government: Stop the bloodshed! Stop suffering! Bring the hostages home and end the occupation!” Golob said to loud applause.

“Mr. Netanyahu, end this war now!” he said, slamming his hand on the podium.

The Pakistani prime minister spoke shortly before Netanyahu. He said the war in Gaza was the “systematic slaughter of innocent people.”

“We must act now and demand an immediate end to this bloodshed,” Muhammad Sharif said to applause.