Dozens of diplomats from more than 50 countries, including Jordan, Qatar, and South Africa, exited the UN General Assembly hall in New York on September 26, 2025, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Netanyahu invoked the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, vowed to eliminate Hamas, rejected a Palestinian state, and announced that Israeli forces hijacked Gaza’s mobile networks to broadcast his speech to residents and fighters.
The walkout highlighted Israel’s increasing international isolation amid the conflict, which has resulted in over 42,000 Palestinian deaths according to Gaza’s Health Ministry and UN estimates.
