Netanyahu denies Gaza genocide claims as UN delegates stage walkout

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium at the UN General Assembly on Thursday to deliver a defiant speech rejecting allegations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, calling such claims fundamentally false. The address was marked by significant protest, with scores of delegates walking out before Netanyahu began speaking, leaving majority of the assembly hall visibly empty.

Netanyahu, his voice rising with emphasis, defended Israel's military operations and asserted his nation's right to wage war against Iran. He described the decision to attack Iran as 'one of the easiest decisions I've ever made,' characterizing those who departed the chamber as 'moral cowards' who were abandoning their own security interests.

'In defending itself, Israel is also defending many of the countries whose delegates just left this hall,' Netanyahu stated, adding that many world leaders privately thanked Israel for neutralizing Iranian nuclear capabilities.

The Israeli leader's remarks reflected the deep divisions at the UN over Israel's military campaign in Gaza and the broader regional conflict. The walkout underscored the contentious nature of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute within international forums, with many nations voicing strong opposition to Israel's military operations and alleged conduct of war.