"Last weekend," the ambassador continued, "an IDF soldier was killed by Hamas terrorists while Hamas fired more than 200 rockets at Israeli citizens. In recent months, Hamas has burned over 7,400 acres of land in Israel, the land area as half of Manhattan. Just imagine if half of Manhattan would go up in flames as a result of terrorism. "

Calling attention to Hamas’ growing presence in Lebanon, Ambassador Danon said this is only possible with the support of Iran: "In recent months, Hamas has expanded its cooperation with Hezbollah and increased its activity in Lebanon. It is now part of an international operation that runs from Turkey, through Lebanon and Syria, and ends in Iran. With Iran’s support, Hamas is now operating missile factories and training camps in southern Lebanon. Hamas is becoming a regional and international threat. " 

"Too many people in this building have forgotten what Hamas truly is: a murderous terrorist organization that terrorizes Israel and holds Gazans hostage," said Danon. "And as Hamas is a growing international problem, the time has come for the Security Council to recognize that Hamas is no different from al-Qaeda or ISIS. The Security Council must recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization. "

“Earlier this week,” the ambassador added, "Israel provided humanitarian aid to Syrian residents, as it has done since the beginning of the war. We have been providing them with food, medicine and clothing, and this week, Israel safely evacuated more than 400 members of the 'white helmets' and their families from Syria. We would like to thank the countries that took part in this important operation."​