Delegations from nearly 70 countries protest Netanyahu’s UN address

Delegations from nearly 70 countries walked out of the UN General Assembly hall or left their seats vacant Thursday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address, staging a mass protest over Israel's genocide in Gaza and its attacks across the region.

An Anadolu review of footage from the 81st UN General Assembly showed dozens of delegations leaving the chamber together after Netanyahu approached the podium.

Some countries left a single representative or junior diplomat behind, while others did not attend the address.

Türkiye, Palestine, Tunisia, Syria, Algeria, Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iran, Qatar, Lebanon, Malaysia, Indonesia and Kuwait were among the countries whose representatives joined the protest.

Delegations from Spain, Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Nigeria, Ghana, Libya, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Oman, Niger, Madagascar, Botswana, the Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, Cabo Verde and several other countries also walked out or remained absent.

The protest came amid continuing international condemnation of Israel's assault on Gaza, its policies in the occupied West Bank and its attacks on Lebanon and Syria.

A UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry concluded in September 2025 that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel has rejected the finding.

Netanyahu is also the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued on Nov. 21, 2024, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Gaza Strip.

- Several Western delegations remained

Representatives of the US, Germany, Argentina, Hungary, Serbia, Ukraine, Czechia and Greece remained in the General Assembly hall during Netanyahu's address.

The UK, France, Ireland, Belgium and Norway, whose relations with Israel have faced increasing tensions over Gaza, also kept representatives in the chamber, as did the European Union delegation.

China, which has repeatedly criticized Israel's actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, was represented by a single diplomat.

Delegations from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, which normalized relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords, also remained in their seats.

Other countries represented during the speech included Australia, Austria, Canada, Portugal, Poland, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Iceland, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Kenya and El Salvador.

The walkout left large sections of the General Assembly chamber visibly empty as Netanyahu continued his address.