The protest took place as Netanyahu approached the podium during the annual UN General Assembly meeting in New York. Large sections of the chamber were left empty as he continued with his speech.
Countries reported to have joined the walkout included Türkiye, Palestine, Pakistan, Tunisia, Syria, Algeria, Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iran, Qatar, Lebanon, Malaysia, Indonesia and Kuwait.
Delegations from several African, Asian and Latin American countries also took part or stayed away from the address. They included Nigeria, Ghana, Libya, Bangladesh, Niger, Madagascar, Botswana, the Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda and Cabo Verde.
The protest came amid continued international criticism of Israel’s military operations in Gaza and its wider regional actions.
A UN-backed independent commission of inquiry said in September 2025 that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel rejected that finding.
Netanyahu also faces an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the Gaza conflict. Israel rejects the allegations.
However, not all countries joined the protest.
Representatives from the United States, Germany, Argentina, Hungary, Serbia, Ukraine, Czechia and Greece remained in the chamber. The United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Belgium and Norway also kept representatives inside.
China was represented by one diplomat, while the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain also remained seated.
The walkout came during a period of continued diplomatic pressure over the Gaza conflict, with governments at the UN debating the war, Palestinian statehood and the wider situation in the Middle East.
The event highlighted the deep divisions among UN member states over Israel’s military actions and the international response to the conflict.
