Diplomats Walk Out During Netanyahu’s UN Speech Over Israeli Military Campaign In Gaza,

Several leaders and diplomats walked out during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s UN speech on Friday during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

The mass walkout was a protest against the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, where over 42,252 people have died amid the conflict, Daily Mail reported. Escalating violence in Lebanon, which has seen numerous attacks on Hezbollah in the past few days, contributed to the diplomats’ decision to leave as Netanyahu began his address.

Videos shared on social media captured the scene of delegates exiting the hall while Netanyahu continued speaking from the podium. When Netanyahu entered the hall and was introduced, boos and raised voices echoed, and many delegates walked out through various exits. Besides this, the Israeli PM also faced anti-war protests near the UN headquarters in New York, with demonstrators expressing their opposition to the war in Gaza.

‘Lies and slander’

In his speech, Netanyahu said that he had initially considered not attending but felt compelled to respond to what he called “lies and slander” aimed at Israel by other world leaders. He emphasized his commitment to defending Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon, asserting that Israel would continue its military operations unabated.

On Friday, Netanyahu signaled to the world from the United Nations that the multiple conflicts in the Middle East were far from resolved, and he vowed to continue battling the Lebanese Hezbollah and defeat Hamas in the Gaza Strip until “total victory.”

Israeli military struck Hezbollah’s HQ

Shortly after the prime minister spoke, blasts rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut and the Israeli military said it had struck Hezbollah’s headquarters. The exact target wasn’t immediately clear, but it appeared to be significant enough to prompt Netanyahu to cut short his trip to New York by a day and make unusual travel on the Jewish Sabbath to get home.

“Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their home safely. And that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Netanyahu said, eliciting applause from supporters in the gallery of the General Assembly. “We’ll continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met,” he said.

Netanyahu also spoke as international mediation efforts were underway to try to rein in the escalating conflict in Lebanon, where Israel has been striking Hezbollah targets intensively for the past week, sending the death toll in Lebanon soaring into the hundreds and raising fears that the conflict could spiral into all-out war.

Late Wednesday, the United States, France and other allies jointly called for an “immediate” 21-day cease-fire to allow for negotiations. Israel said Thursday that discussions were ongoing and Hezbollah hasn’t officially responded to the cease-fire proposal, but has said it won’t stop firing until the Gaza war ends.

(With agency inputs)