Netanyahu UN speech met by mass walkout as Gaza war deepens diplomatic divide

Dozens of UN delegates walked out of the General Assembly hall in New York as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address on Thursday, turning his appearance into a visible display of international opposition to Israel’s conduct in Gaza.

The walkout followed calls from the Palestinian Mission to the UN for member states to leave the chamber during Netanyahu’s speech. Reports said delegations from dozens of countries took part, while US, German and some other European representatives remained in the hall.

Netanyahu responded by calling those who left “moral cowards” and challenged others who agreed with them to also leave. Members of the Israeli delegation cheered during parts of his address.

The Israeli prime minister used the speech to defend his government’s military actions in Gaza and the wider region, while rejecting allegations that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians. A UN-backed Independent International Commission of Inquiry concluded in September 2025 that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, a finding Israel has rejected.

The war began after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. Israel responded with a military campaign in Gaza.

More than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to Gaza health officials. The territory’s health ministry reported more than 73,800 deaths by September 17, 2026.

The walkout highlighted the widening diplomatic divide surrounding Israel’s military campaign, with Netanyahu using the UN platform to defend Israel while multiple delegations used their presence, and subsequent departure, to signal opposition.