Diplomats staged a walkout at the UN assembly hall as Israel’s prime minister stepped up to deliver his address. As the chairman of the session tried to restore order, the room filled with boos and cheers while many delegates walked out, leaving large sections of empty seats behind. Benjamin Netanyahu used his speech to speak directly to the hostages held in Gaza, as well as those holding them captive.

‍

‍

He claimed loudspeakers had been placed around Gaza and that Israeli intelligence had hacked into mobile phones in the territory so his message could be heard. To the hostages, he said: "We have not forgotten you...we will not falter, we will not rest until we have brought all of you home." To Hamas’s leaders, he said: "Lay down your arms... free the hostages now. If you do you will live, if you don't Israel will hunt you down." He rejected the "false charge of genocide" and declared: "If Hamas agrees to demands, war could end."

‍

‍

Netanyahu displayed a regional map, striking off what he described as eliminated threats, such as Hezbollah and Iran’s nuclear capacity. "Israel rebounded from its darkest day to deliver one of the most stunning military comebacks in history," he said. Meanwhile, Donald Trump claimed the US was close to securing an arrangement to ease fighting in Gaza, saying it "will get the hostages back" and "end the war. I think we maybe have a deal on Gaza, very close to a deal on Gaza," the US president told reporters on the White House lawn before leaving for the Ryder Cup.

Mr Trump has often suggested a peace agreement was near, though none have yet materialised. Weeks earlier, he had said: "I think we're going to have a deal on Gaza very soon." This comes shortly after the UK, France, Canada, and Australia formally recognised a Palestinian state, an effort to keep the two-state solution alive. The Gaza conflict has now lasted nearly two years, with the UN and its leadership issuing repeated warnings over the worsening humanitarian situation.

‍

‍

Israel’s recent ground assault on Gaza City has added to fears, prompting thousands to flee south for safety. Israel insists the operation is aimed at eliminating Hamas after its October 2023 terror attack that killed more than 1,200 people and saw 251 kidnapped. Netanyahu told the UN Israel had to "finish the job" to prevent another such atrocity. "They beheaded men. They raped women. They burned babies alive. They burned babies alive in front of their parents," he said.

‍

He had already criticised Western recognition of a Palestinian state, arguing it only rewarded Hamas and made freeing the hostages more difficult. There are concerns he may respond by annexing the West Bank and asserting Israeli sovereignty over illegal settlements. But Mr Trump — seen as the only world leader with influence over Israel — told reporters on Thursday he would "not allow it".

‍

Netanyahu faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, accused of crimes against humanity, charges he denies. More than 65,000 Palestinians have died in the war, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and fighters. Ninety per cent of the population has also been displaced by airstrikes that have destroyed much of the territory, leaving many without adequate food supplies.

‍

The Israeli leader told the UN "the war could end right now" if Gaza agreed to its conditions. "Israel would retain overriding security control, and a peaceful civilian authority would be established by Gazans and others committed to peace with Israel." He also criticised "weak-kneed" Western leaders, accusing them of bowing to biased media coverage and antisemitic mobs. "For much of the past two years, Israel has had to fight a seven-front war against barbarism, with many of your nations opposing us," Netanyahu said.

He dismissed claims that the military was targeting civilians, pointing to findings that Israel took more "measures to minimise civilian casualties than any military in history". Rejecting genocide accusations, the prime minister argued the "truth had been turned on its head" and noted his forces had dropped millions of leaflets and sent text warnings urging people to evacuate before strikes.