Netanyahu defends Israeli military action as delegates walk out before UN speech

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fiercely defended his country's military campaigns in Iran, Gaza, and elsewhere in the Middle East during a speech to the UN General Assembly. Dozens of delegates walked out in protest, but Netanyahu vowed to continue fighting, declaring, "We're going to win. We have no other choice." He responded to the walkout by accusing some delegates of being "moral cowards" and urged them to leave.

Netanyahu rejected accusations of committing genocide in Gaza, stating that Palestinian policies - particularly the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank - threaten the "very life and existence of the Palestinian people on their homeland." Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the UN via video link, citing the Israeli military's actions in Gaza as subjecting Palestinians to "killing, destruction, starvation, and displacement, as well as a genocidal war."

Netanyahu, who faces an arrest warrant for alleged war crimes, attacked nations and leaders who have criticized him, labeling Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a "tyrant" and accusing him of supporting Hamas. He also praised US President Donald Trump for his "bold leadership" in launching air strikes against Iran in February.