Parliament speaker slams Netanyahu for 'fake maps' in UN address

ANKARA

Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the U.N. General Assembly on Friday, describing it as a "pathetic futile effort" to mask war crimes.

In a post on X, Kurtulmuş accused Netanyahu of misusing the U.N. platform to justify "terrorist acts," calling it a concern for all of humanity, beyond just the U.N. and its member states.

Kurtulmuş specifically condemned Netanyahu for presenting two "fake maps" during his address, which omitted the West Bank and Gaza Strip, depicting all the territory as part of Israel.

"As recognized by 150 states, Netanyahu and his gang...should know that imaginary maps drawn on the table are of no importance," Kurtulmuş stated, emphasizing that the territories belong to the State of Palestine.

He further remarked that "war criminals" exploiting such tactics would ultimately face justice and be consigned to "the dustbin of history."

Kurtulmuş's comments echoed earlier sentiments from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who labeled Netanyahu's U.N. appearance as "a source of shame."

Netanyahu cut short his trip to New York on Friday evening following an unprecedented airstrike by his country's army on Lebanon's capital.

Earlier on Friday, Israeli jets conducted several heavy airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburb area, claiming to have attacked the main headquarters of Lebanese group Hezbollah.

A statement by his office indicated that Netanyahu took off from New York at 1 p.m. EDT.

Shortly after the strikes, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said the attack targeted Hezbollah's main headquarters, which he claimed was built underneath civilian buildings.

Israel has maintained an intense military campaign in Gaza following a cross-border attack by Hamas last October. The offensive has resulted in over 41,500 deaths, predominantly among women and children, with more than 96,000 injuries reported by local health authorities.

Additionally, Israel faces genocide allegations at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.