Dozens of delegates walked out of the United Nations General Assembly on Friday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium, underscoring Israel’s growing diplomatic isolation amid its ongoing war in Gaza.
Among those who left the chamber were the Bangladeshi delegates, joining representatives from across Asia, Africa, and Latin America in protest of Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Netanyahu, repeatedly branded a war criminal by other leaders during this year’s session, delivered a defiant address. He vowed to “finish the job” against Hamas, insisting that Israel would not rest until the group’s “final remnants” in Gaza were destroyed.
His speech was also aimed directly at Gaza, with the prime minister’s office confirming that his remarks were broadcast on loudspeakers across the border and streamed to Gazans’ phones. Netanyahu addressed hostages believed to be alive inside Gaza, pledging, “We have not forgotten you, not even for a second… we will not rest until we bring all of you home.”
Holding up a map, Netanyahu claimed Israel had struck blows against Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran over the past year, pointedly thanking U.S. President Donald Trump for assisting in strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June. He also warned world leaders who have backed Palestinian statehood that such recognition would be a “mark of shame.”
The walkouts highlighted the sharp backlash Israel faces at the UN. Earlier in the week, Qatar’s Emir called Israel a “rogue government,” while UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned both the October 7 Hamas attacks and what he described as Israel’s “collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”
Netanyahu’s visit was further clouded by the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against him, forcing his plane to take a longer, indirect route to New York to avoid countries that might enforce the warrant.
