Dozens of UN Delegates Walk Out as Netanyahu Addresses General Assembly, Leaving Chamber Largely Empty in Protest Over Gaza Conflict

Dozens of national delegations walked out of the UN General Assembly hall on September 24, 2026, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium, leaving the chamber largely empty in protest of Israel's military actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, according to Dawn, Outlook India, PBS NewsHour, and multiple sources. Delegations from Arab and Muslim-majority countries, along with representatives from Colombia, South Africa, and Indonesia, stood and exited as Netanyahu approached the rostrum, with estimates suggesting approximately 77 countries participated in the walkout. The visitors' gallery remained occupied by Israeli supporters who applauded during parts of the address, while General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman repeatedly called for order in the hall as chants and protests erupted inside the chamber.

Netanyahu delivered a combative speech to the near-empty hall, calling those who left moral cowards and defending Israel's military operations while rejecting genocide allegations. He stated Israel will not allow a Palestinian state to exist and called international recognition of Palestine a mark of shame. The mass walkout underscores Israel's growing diplomatic isolation nearly two years into the Gaza conflict, which began on October 7, 2023. Netanyahu's speech came as he campaigns for re-election ahead of an October 27, 2026 vote in Israel, while New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has called him a war criminal and called on the US federal government to enforce the International Criminal Court arrest warrant, while acknowledging the city lacks independent authority to do so. Outside the UN, over 100 protesters demanding Netanyahu's arrest were arrested by police.

Sources

Sources: Dawn, Outlook India, PBS NewsHour, Politics Today, Deccan Herald, Democracy Now, The New Arab, CNBC, and Fox News. The walkout occurred on September 24, 2026 during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Politics Today estimated 77 countries walked out. Democracy Now reported over 100 protesters were arrested outside the UN building. CNBC and PBS NewsHour reported Mamdani's statements on the ICC warrant and the city's lack of independent enforcement authority.