NEW YORK, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Delegations from several countries walked out of the United Nations General Assembly hall on Thursday evening as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address to the 81st session of the General Assembly in New York.
Footage from inside the hall showed large numbers of delegates leaving their seats as Netanyahu began speaking, echoing scenes during his address to the General Assembly last year.
Other delegations remained in the hall, while boos and jeers could be heard from some attendees during Netanyahu’s speech.
Netanyahu described the delegates who walked out as “morally cowardly” and told those who remained in the hall to leave if they shared the same views as those who had departed.
Netanyahu, whose government has faced accusations of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, arrived at UN headquarters to deliver a speech focused largely on the war in Gaza, Iran and the Palestinian issue.
His address comes while he remains subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza genocide. The ICC issued warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli War Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024.
