Dozens of diplomats have walked out of the UN’s assembly hall as Israel’s prime minister took to the podium to speak.
As the session’s chairman called for order, there were boos and cheers while delegates streamed out, leaving masses of empty seats.
Benjamin Netanyahu used his speech to speak directly to the hostages held in Gaza and their captors.
UN latest: Dozens of delegates walk out on Netanyahu’s UN address in protest
He said loudspeakers had been put up around the territory and said Israeli spies had hacked mobile phones in Gaza so they carried his voice.
To the hostages he said: “We have not forgotten you… we will not falter, we will not rest until we have brought all of you home.”
To Hamas’s leadership, he said: “Lay down your arms… free the hostages now. If you do you will live, if you don’t Israel will hunt you down.”
He hit out at “false charge of genocide” and said: “If Hamas agrees to demands, war could end.”
Mr Netanyahu held a map of the region and crossed out the various threats he said had been eliminated, such as Hezbollah and Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
“Israel rebounded from its darkest day to deliver one of the most stunning military comebacks in history,” he said.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump said he believes the US has reached a deal on easing fighting in Gaza, saying it “will get the hostages back” and “end the war”.
“I think we maybe have a deal on Gaza, very close to a deal on Gaza,” the US president told reporters on the White House lawn as he was leaving to attend the Ryder Cup.
Mr Trump has repeatedly claimed an agreement to end the war was imminent, only for nothing to materialise. Weeks ago he said: “I think we’re going to have a deal on Gaza very soon.”
There were protests outside the UN building. Pic: Reuters
It comes soon after the UK, France, Canada and Australia formally recognised a Palestinian state in an effort to keep alive the prospect of a two-state solution.
The war in Gaza has been going on for nearly two years, with UN agencies and its chief repeatedly warning over the dire humanitarian situation.
Israel’s recently launched ground assault on Gaza City has only heightened concerns and seen thousands flee south in fear for their lives.
Israel says it’s designed to destroy what remains of Hamas after its October 2023 terror attack killed more than 1,200 people and kidnapped 251.
The Israeli leader insisted Israel had to “finish the job” to ensure the atrocity is not repeated.
“They beheaded men. They raped women. They burned babies alive. They burned babies alive in front of their parents,” he told the UN.
Walk outs show Netanyahu is a leader now isolated
Even before Benjamin Netanyahu reached the lectern on the floor of the United Nations General Assembly, dozens of diplomats had walked out of the cavernous hall.
The Israeli delegation attempted to counter this performative display by putting forward one of their own – cheering and giving a standing ovation at the appearance of their prime minister.
Almost immediately, Netanyahu did what he often does in these speeches – unfurling props, including a map of the region, and ticking off one by one the threats that have long menaced the Jewish State.
However, while Netanyahu attempted to remind the few still seated in the chamber about the horrors of the 7 October terrorist attack by Hamas, the principal impression from inside the room was of how isolated from the world the Israeli leader has become.
Underscoring this further was the circuitous path that Netanyahu’s jet had to take in order to reach New York, winding its way around European countries to avoid the airspace of those potentially sympathetic to an ICC arrest warrant.
Netanyahu’s speech was broadcast live into Gaza – via Israeli military vehicles carrying loudspeakers – where he sent a message to the hostages and issued a threat to Hamas: “Lay down your arms, free the hostages.”
But throughout the week here in New York, the frustration at Netanyahu has been palpable, even among many of Israel’s closest friends and supporters.
First, Britain, France, Australia, and Canada recognised a Palestinian state in a rebuke to Netanyahu. Now it seems that Israel’s strongest and most important ally, Donald Trump, may have had enough too.
The US President, in a meeting with Muslim and Arab leaders earlier this week, reportedly assured them that he will bring an end to the Israeli war in Gaza and prevent Benjamin Netanyahu from annexing the West Bank.
In an exclusive interview with Sky News, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister told me Trump is “very, very committed” to a pathway to peace to end the suffering of the Palestinian people.
Netanyahu is due to meet Donald Trump at the White House early next week. After decades in public life, even Netanyahu’s fiercest critics acknowledge his political skills and unmatched survival instincts; the question now is – with Trump, has he finally met his match?
Mr Netanyahu previously condemned the recognition of a Palestinian state by Western powers, saying it only rewarded Hamas and made it harder to win the release of the remaining hostages.
There are fears he could retaliate by annexing the West Bank and recognising Israeli control over illegal settlements.
However, Mr Trump – the only world leader believed to hold any sway over Israel – told reporters yesterday he would “not allow it”.
The Israeli leader is subject to an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, which has accused him of crimes against humanity, which he denies.
More than 65,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in the war, according to the country’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Ninety per cent of its population has also been displaced by attacks that have flattened most of the territory and left many people desperately short of food.
‘Weak-kneed’ Western leaders
The Israeli prime minister told the UN “the war could end right now” if Gaza agreed to its demands.
“Israel would retain overriding security control, and a peaceful civilian authority would be established by Gazans and others committed to peace with Israel.”
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Israeli PM accuses countries of ‘buckling’ under pressure
He also hit out at “weak-kneed” Western leaders who he accused of giving in to biased media and antisemitic mobs.
“For much of the past two years, Israel has had to fight a seven-front war against barbarism, with many of your nations opposing us,” said Mr Netanyahu.
He denied his military was deliberately targeting civilians and referenced an assessment that it was taking more “measures to minimise civilian casualties than any military in history”.
Denying genocide claims, the prime minister said the “truth had been turned on its head” and cited his forces dropping millions of leaflets and sending text messages telling people to flee prior to attacks.
This story originally appeared on Skynews
