Live Updates: Delegates Walk Out On Netanyahu Speech At UN General Assembly

Catch up: Netanyahu’s UN speech, a proposed peace plan and an escalating assault in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York, on Friday.Kylie Cooper/Reuters

Scores of delegates walked out on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly this morning as the war in Gaza intensifies.

Here’s what to know today:

• Netanyahu: After the delegates walked out, the Israeli prime minister gave a speech touting his country’s operations against Iran and its proxies in the Middle East and vowed to “finish the job” of eliminating Hamas in Gaza. He wore a QR code on his jacket linking to a website detailing atrocities from the October 7 attack.
• Speakers on the border: Netanyahu said he “surrounded Gaza with massive loudspeakers” to broadcast his address. He spoke directly to Hamas leaders in the speech, telling them to release the remaining hostages or face death. The families of Israeli hostages had spoken out against the move to broadcast the speech.
• To other word leaders: Netanyahu slammed international criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza and accused world leaders of caving in to “biased media, radical Islamist constituencies and anti-semitic mobs.” Netanyahu also called other countries’ recognition of a Palestinian state “insane.”
• Reaction to the speech: The head of Israel’s opposition criticized Netanyahu’s speech, which featured a “pop quiz” and other visual aids, as filled with “gimmicks.” Hamas said the scores of delegates who walked out before the speech showcased Israel’s “isolation.” There were also multiple rallies in New York City as Netanyahu gave his address.
• Dire situation in Gaza: Several Palestinians spoke to CNN about thunderous strikes and shelling that pounded Gaza City and northern Gaza overnight, days after Israel launched a ground assault on the largest city in the enclave. “It feels as if the war has started all over again,” Sheikh Radwan resident Ismail Zayda told CNN.
• Possible peace deal: Meantime, US President Donald Trump repeated his claim this morning that a Gaza ceasefire deal is “very close.” On the sidelines of the UNGA, Trump and top US officials proposed a 21-point peace plan to end the war.
• More on Trump and the UNGA: A top UN spokesperson says the US is “welcome to join” an investigation into a malfunctioning escalator during the president’s appearance Tuesday. Trump has claimed without providing evidence that the escalator and other technical mishaps were an act of “sabotage.”

CNN