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Delegations from dozens of countries walked out of the United Nations General Assembly hall on Thursday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium to address the 81st session, leaving him to speak before a nearly empty chamber after being met with jeers and boos.
Netanyahu entered the hall and made his way to the podium to deliver his address.
As he began speaking, representatives from numerous country delegations rose from their seats and left in protest, citing Israel's military campaign in Gaza, continued strikes despite a ceasefire, land seizures in the occupied West Bank, and attacks on Syria and Lebanon.
Shouts of protest rang out across the chamber as delegates exited, and Netanyahu was booed before continuing his remarks in the largely emptied hall.
Thursday's walkout marked the third time Netanyahu has been protested at the UN General Assembly since Oct. 7, 2023.
Around the UN headquarters in New York, security was tightened significantly as demonstrations against the Israeli prime minister took place in the surrounding streets. Protesters chanted "End the arming of Israel, let Gaza live" and carried signs reading "End the genocide" and "Fund people, not war."
Separately, more than 100 demonstrators gathered outside UN headquarters as Netanyahu addressed the General Assembly, demanding he face prosecution for war crimes. Actor Susan Sarandon was among those present. Some protesters wore T-shirts reading "Fund people not bombs."
CODEPINK co-founder Medea Benjamin, speaking to Anadolu Agency, said she was "shocked and disgusted" that the United Nations allowed Netanyahu to speak, arguing that he should instead be facing war crimes charges at The Hague.
She also called for the United States government to be tried at The Hague, describing it as "complicit" in the situation in Gaza and in what she called an "unprovoked illegal war in Iran," adding that the demonstrators represented "the majority of people around the world who just want to live in peace."
Several demonstrators were seen in handcuffs and being led away by police during the protest. Banners at the scene read "Stop bombing Iran, Lebanon, Palestine" and "Stop arming Israel."
A separate, smaller demonstration formed along the route to UN headquarters. Tamara Gayer, representing the group Israelis for Peace, told Anadolu Agency that Netanyahu should not have been given "this public platform" at the UN, saying that while he was not the sole cause of the situation between Israelis and Palestinians, he remained "a major actor and bloc" standing in the way of a path toward peace for both peoples.
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