Shafaq News – New York / Baghdad (Updated at 20:48)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Friday that leaders of “Iraqi militias” would be targeted if they attempted new attacks.

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Netanyahu said the groups had already been “deterred,” just as Israel “eliminated” Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria and Iran’s nuclear program.

Iraqi factions backed by Iran had fired rockets and drones in support of Hamas during the Gaza war, which has killed more than 65,500 Palestinians since October 7, 2023.

Netanyahu, who faces an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant on charges including the use of starvation as a method of warfare and crimes against humanity, reiterated his pledge to continue military operations in Gaza, vowing to “destroy” Hamas and secure the release of “hostages”.

In response, Hussein al-Mousawi, spokesperson for Harakat al-Nujaba—an Iran-backed Iraqi armed group—downplayed Netanyahu’s remarks as “empty threats” aimed at masking Israel’s setbacks.

Al-Mousawi told Shafaq News that the group’s “options remain open” after previously targeting sensitive Israeli sites with rockets and drones.