UNITED NATIONS, Sept 25: 70 countries’ delegations walked out of the UN General Assembly hall or left their seats vacant as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address on Thursday, in a protest over Israel’s military actions in Gaza and across the region.
Video footage showed representatives leaving the chamber as Netanyahu approached the podium, leaving large sections of the hall empty. Some countries left only a single representative or junior diplomat behind, while others were not present for the address. Reports put the number of delegations that walked out or were absent at about 70, with one later Israeli count putting the figure at 77.
Türkiye, Palestine, Tunisia, Syria, Algeria, Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iran, Qatar, Lebanon, Malaysia, Indonesia and Kuwait were among those whose representatives were reported to have joined the protest or were absent during the speech. Spain, Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Nigeria, Ghana, Libya, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Oman, Niger, Madagascar, Botswana, the Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda and Cabo Verde were also among the countries reported to have walked out or left their seats vacant.
Netanyahu responded to the departing delegates by calling them “moral cowards” and told those who remained that Israel would continue to defend itself. He also argued that Israel was defending countries whose representatives had left the chamber.
The walkout came amid continuing international criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, its policies in the occupied West Bank and its strikes in Lebanon and Syria.
A UN-backed independent commission of inquiry concluded in September 2025 that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel has rejected the finding. Netanyahu has also faced an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Western delegations remain
Representatives of the United States, Germany, Argentina, Hungary, Serbia, Ukraine, Czechia and Greece remained in the General Assembly during Netanyahu’s address. Britain, France, Ireland, Belgium and Norway, as well as the European Union delegation, also had representatives in the chamber.
China was represented by a single diplomat, while the delegations of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain also remained in the hall.
Australia, Austria, Canada, Portugal, Poland, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Iceland, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Kenya and El Salvador were among other countries represented during the speech.
The mass departure left large sections of the General Assembly chamber visibly empty as Netanyahu continued his address and defended Israel’s actions.
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