Dozens of delegates walked out of the United Nations General Assembly hall as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address on Thursday, amid growing international criticism over Israel’s war in Gaza.
Netanyahu used the roughly 40-minute speech to defend Israel’s military actions across the region, claiming the country was fighting on seven fronts.
During the address, he displayed a pager while referring to attacks involving Hezbollah members in Lebanon. He also held up a Starlink satellite internet device while discussing Iran.
The speech was broadcast live during prime-time on four major Israeli television channels ahead of the country’s general election on Oct 27.
Opinion polls have indicated that Netanyahu’s bloc is trailing its rivals ahead of the election.
Outside the UN headquarters, several hundred protesters gathered and called on the United States to stop supplying weapons to Israel.
Police detained some protesters after they were accused of obstructing traffic during the demonstration.
Netanyahu’s brief visit to the US for the UN General Assembly also did not include a planned meeting with US President Donald Trump, although the Israeli leader praised Trump during his speech.
