India, Sept. 25 -- NEW YORK - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to the podium at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, delivering a combative address that combined theatrical props with an uncompromising defence of his administration's military campaigns. Speaking before a visibly divided and partially emptied hall, the Israeli leader asserted that proactive military action across multiple fronts has fundamentally altered the security landscape of the Middle East since the October 7 attacks.

The high-profile appearance, unfolding against a backdrop of intense international scrutiny and domestic political pressure, served as both a strategic justification of wartime policies and a direct challenge to global critics...