Dozens Walk Out of UN Assembly Hall During Netanyahu Speech in Boycott

Dozens of people representing various delegations to the United Nations General Assembly walked out of the assembly hall on Thursday in protest as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address, according to France 24.

The walkout was described by France 24 as a boycott, with delegation members leaving the chamber as a sign of protest against Netanyahu's remarks. The report noted this was not the first time the Israeli leader has faced such a protest during his previous appearances at the UN, with similar boycotts having marked earlier interventions.

The report did not specify which countries' delegations participated in the walkout, the exact number of people involved beyond describing it as "dozens," or the content of Netanyahu's speech itself. Israeli officials have in the past dismissed such walkouts as reflecting political posturing rather than substantive engagement with Israel's positions.

Netanyahu's UN appearances have drawn protest in past years amid the war in Gaza, which began after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and Israel's subsequent military campaign in the Palestinian territory, a conflict that has drawn sustained international criticism of Israeli conduct alongside continued Western, and particularly US, military and diplomatic support for Israel.

The UN General Assembly has in recent sessions seen a series of tense exchanges and diplomatic gestures related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including votes on resolutions concerning Gaza and broader Middle East policy, though the report did not detail whether related resolutions were on the agenda during this particular session.