Dozens of delegations walked out of the UN General Assembly as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netan…

Dozens of delegations walked out of the UN General Assembly as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium, leaving large sections of the hall empty in a coordinated protest. Israeli officials later counted 77 delegations that were either absent or left at the start, although not all 77 necessarily participated in the organised walkout. Netanyahu responded from the podium by calling those who left “moral cowards” and strongly rejected accusations that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Israel is currently defending a genocide case before the International Court of Justice, which has not yet issued a final ruling on whether genocide has occurred. The scenes underscored the increasingly sharp diplomatic divisions over Israel and the war in Gaza, with the walkout becoming one of the most visible protests of this year’s General Assembly.