Significant protests broke out in New York’s UN General Assembly hall on Friday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ascended the stage to deliver his statement during the assembly’s 79th session.
In protest against the war waged by Israel on Gaza, which has claimed 42,252 lives—primarily women and children—and its recent escalation of hostilities in Lebanon targeting hundreds of Hezbollah members and civilians, dozens of diplomats and delegations from several countries departed the UN General Assembly premises as soon as Netanyahu took the podium to deliver his speech.
Many social media users posted videos capturing the attendees’ departure, accompanied by whistles and chants of disapproval aimed at Netanyahu inside the UN General Assembly.
Chants of dissent: Diplomats leave UN during Netanyahu’s address
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly he was there to combat “lies and slander” as he vowed his country would continue fighting Hezbollah.
Mr Netanyahu, armed with visual aids, defended his nation’s response to the October 7 terror attack by Hamas which has seen an Israeli military operation that has devastated the Gaza Strip.
“I didn’t intend to come here this year. My country is at war fighting for its life,” Mr Netanyahu said.
“But after I heard the lies and slanders levelled at my country by many of the speakers at this podium, I decided to come here and set the record straight.”
He told world leaders Israel would “continue degrading Hezbollah” until it achieves its goals along the Lebanon border, in a blow for hopes for a ceasefire.
He said his government would no longer tolerate daily rocket fire from the area.
“Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their home safely. And that’s exactly what we’re doing,” he said.
“We’ll continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met.”
He added: “Just imagine if terrorists turned El Paso and San Diego into ghost towns … How long would the American government tolerate that?”
“Yet Israel has been tolerating this intolerable situation for almost a year. Well, I’ve come here today to say: Enough is enough.”
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Mr Netanyahu again blamed Iran, which backs the Hezbollah militia, for many of the problems in the region.
“For too long, the world has appeased Iran,” Mr Netanyahu said. “That appeasement must end.”
Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 41,500 Palestiniansand wounded more than 96,000 others, according to the latest figures released on Thursday by the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
But Mr Netanyahu insisted the war could end if Hamas were to “lay down its arms and release all the hostages.”
“But if they don’t – if they don’t – we will fight until we achieve total victory. Total victory. There is no substitute for it,” he said.
He said Israeli forces have destroyed “90%” of Hamas’ rockets and killed or captured half of its forces.
Late Wednesday, the United States, Britain and other western allies jointly called for an “immediate” 21-day ceasefire on the border with Lebanon to allow for negotiations.
Fears are growing that the violent escalation in recent days – following 11 months of cross-border exchange of fire -could grow into an all-out war.
The United Nations says more than 90,000 people have been displaced by five days of Israeli strikes on Lebanon, bringing the total to 200,000 people who have been displaced in Lebanon since Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel.
