Netanyahu Defends Israeli Military Actions at UN as Delegates Walk Out

What happened

The BBC Middle East correspondent reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fiercely defended his country's military actions in the Middle East, including Gaza, during his speech at the UN General Assembly. His address was met with dozens of delegates walking out in protest, prompting Netanyahu to label those departing as "moral cowards" and urge others to leave as well. He also denied accusations that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas gave a prerecorded speech to the UN, claiming Israeli policies—including settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank—threaten Palestinian existence and the two-state solution. He described the situation in Gaza as involving "killing, destruction, starvation and attempts at displacement, as well as a genocidal war" by the Israeli military. Abbas was unable to attend in person due to being denied a US visa.

Netanyahu’s speech also included criticism of nations and leaders who have accused Israel of colonialism, singling out Britain and France. He disputed reported settler violence casualties, claiming "maybe two or three" deaths annually, contrasting with UN reports noting 23 Palestinian deaths tied to settler attacks this year. He further attacked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for supporting Hamas, which drew official rebuke from Turkey’s presidency communications director as incompatible with UN ideals.

Known from the source

• Benjamin Netanyahu gave a speech at the UN General Assembly defending Israeli military actions in the Middle East including Gaza.
• Dozens of delegates walked out during Netanyahu’s speech.
• Netanyahu called those walking out "moral cowards."
• Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the UN remotely, citing Israeli policies as threats to Palestinians and alleging a genocidal war by Israel in Gaza.
• Abbas was denied a US entry visa and spoke via video link.

What remains unclear

The Israeli prime minister additionally criticized New York City’s left-wing mayor Zohran Mamdani, linking his election to diminished Jewish safety in the city, while Mamdani’s office accused Netanyahu of using the speech to spread "baseless lies" about genocide. Netanyahu also praised former US President Donald Trump for "bold leadership" in joint US and Israeli airstrikes on Tehran, aligning his comments with his domestic election campaign and efforts to maintain US support amid growing international skepticism.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Verification of casualty figures from settler violence as reported by UN compared to Netanyahu’s claims. Confirmation of Netanyahu’s statements on denial of genocide as factually representative. Verification of the political effect and scale of the delegates’ walkout at the UN speech.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: BBC Middle East Gaza. Open the source.