New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently faced backlash for her remarks regarding Israel's right to defend itself, where she made an inappropriate analogy about Canada invading Buffalo, New York. While speaking at a Jewish philanthropic event, Hochul stated that "Call out Hamas for what it is, and it is a terrorist organization that must be stopped." She then compared the situation to a hypothetical Canadian attack on Buffalo, emphasizing the need for self-defense.

The governor later apologized for her comments amidst online criticism, acknowledging that her analogy was inappropriate and poorly worded. Hochul clarified that while she supports Israel's right to self-defense, she also believes that Palestinian civilian casualties should be avoided and called for increased humanitarian aid to Gaza.

New York State Assemblyman Zohran Kwame Mamdani criticized Hochul for justifying genocide in her speech, describing it as "disgusting." However, the United Jewish Appeal-Federation thanked Hochul for attending the event and for her support against antisemitism and hate.

Hochul's speech coincided with an escalation of strikes in Gaza by Israel, with the United States planning to veto a U.N. cease-fire resolution. Instead, the U.S. aims to facilitate a cease-fire agreement and the release of hostages between Israel and Hamas while seeking a broader resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed calls for recognizing Palestinian statehood without negotiations and vowed to continue the offensive against Hamas until achieving "total victory." The conflict has prompted a significant number of Palestinians to seek refuge in Gaza's southern town of Rafah.