Agency :
Hundreds of diplomats walked out of the United Nations General Assembly chamber as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address on Friday.
The Times of Israel reported that the walkout was not limited to Arab and Muslim delegations; diplomats from several African and European countries also left the chamber shortly after Netanyahu took the podium.
Supporters of the prime minister attempted to drown out the protest by applauding loudly among them, according to reports, Netanyahu’s wife and New York Mayor Eric Adams.
In his speech, Netanyahu spoke about Israel’s clashes with Iran describing a 12day confrontation and expressed gratitude to U.S. President Donald Trump, among other remarks.
He also wore a pin bearing a QR code and invited those in the chamber to scan it to view a video he said documented attacks by Hamas.
Netanyahu asserted that Israel’s military has achieved one of its largest operational successes in history but acknowledged that Hamas fighters still remain in Gaza and pledged that it will take more time to eliminate them.
He warned that Hamas continues to pose a threat to Israel and said the group must be destroyed. Netanyahu accused the international community of
forgetting the October 7 attacks by Hamas, saying Israelis will not forget.
Ahead of the address, Israeli forces reportedly set up loudspeakers along the Gaza border so residents could hear the speech; Netanyahu also claimed that his address was being transmitted to mobile phones in Gaza.
Speaking directly to hostages, he vowed not to stop until they were all rescued. He added that if Hamas were to disarm and release the hostages, the war could end immediately; following the conflict, he said Gaza would be demilitarized and placed under security control, with a civilian administration aligned with Israel.
Netanyahu’s remarks and the high-profile walkout underscored deep international divisions over the Israel–Gaza conflict and the Israeli government’s policy choices.
