Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the Israel Defense Forces to broadcast his United Nations General Assembly speech into the Gaza Strip via loudspeakers, a move Israeli media characterize as psychological warfare. According to reports, the plan calls for trucks outfitted with amplified speaker systems positioned near Israel’s border with Gaza to transmit his remarks, timed to coincide with his address at the UN.
The Prime Minister’s Office initially claimed the loudspeakers would remain on Israel’s side of the border to avoid exposing troops to danger. However, the IDF later confirmed that some of the systems were installed inside Gaza, up to a kilometer beyond the border, in several army posts. Officials said a total of nine loudspeaker units were deployed as part of what the military described as an “influence campaign” targeting both the civilian population and Hamas.
Some factions within the military reportedly opposed the order, citing the risks to soldiers who must move into potentially hostile zones. Mother-activist groups, many with sons serving in the military, publicly condemned Netanyahu’s decision. One group, Ima Era (“Wide-awake Mother”), criticized the use of soldiers for what they cast as a political stunt: “They are not scenery in your megalomaniac show,” their statement read.
Observers say the broadcast operation is designed to send Netanyahu’s message unfiltered to Gaza’s residents, especially as he faces intensifying global criticism over Israel’s conduct in the ongoing war.
