Overview

• Delegations walked out and boos erupted as the Israeli prime minister began his General Assembly address, leaving many seats empty.
• He rejected allegations of genocide in Gaza, asserting Israel does not target civilians or starve the population.
• Citing battlefield gains, he said Israel has crushed the core of Hamas and declared that Israel wants to finish the job as quickly as possible.
• He condemned recent Western recognitions of a Palestinian state, calling such moves a reward for terrorism and labeling Palestinian statehood a national suicide for Israel.
• He said his speech was broadcast into Gaza so hostages could hear it, a tactic criticized by some families, as UN findings of famine and a commission’s genocide determination continue to loom over the conflict.