World leaders and diplomats, including delegations from Pakistan and Turkey, staged a walkout from the UN General Assembly on Friday in protest ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech.
As Netanyahu entered the hall to address the 79th session, representatives from various countries exited in defiance.
The decision to allow Netanyahu to speak has sparked criticism, as International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan is reportedly seeking an arrest warrant for him on allegations of “war crimes.”
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, speaking to the assembly on Thursday, argued that Israel no longer deserves its UN membership due to its ongoing violations of UN resolutions.
Earlier, the UN General Assembly demanded that Israel withdraw from the occupied territories within a year, instructing Secretary-General António Guterres to report on the progress within a month. Throughout the week, numerous world leaders have used their addresses to denounce Israel’s disregard for international law, which they argue undermines the UN’s credibility. Some speeches have been notably harsh, with the Turkish president drawing a provocative comparison between Netanyahu and Hitler.
