UN delegates walk out of Netanyahu address after cheering Palestinian leader day before
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu faced walkouts as he addressed the United Nations, a contrast to Palestine Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' welcome.
Delegates at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) stormed out Friday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the stage and prepared to speak.
The mass exit came after delegates spent days speaking about the situation in Gaza and proposals to end the nearly two-year war.
Their response to Netanyahu was a stark contrast to the long round of applause that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas received when he addressed the international body virtually on Thursday.
As Netanyahu began his address Friday, he was speaking to a nearly empty hall. It is unclear exactly which delegations stayed in the chamber, though U.S. delegates were present.
While he did not have the attention of all the U.N. delegates, Netanyahu revealed in his speech that he was addressing a much wider audience. Netanyahu revealed that his speech was played on speakers surrounding the Gaza Strip and that it was being streamed to Gazans' cell phones.
UK, CANADA, AUSTRALIA RECOGNIZE PALESTINIAN STATE; NETANYAHU VOWS ‘IT WILL NOT HAPPEN’
The prime minister revealed the wide reach of his address after giving the hostages a message in Hebrew and in English.
"Our brave heroes, this is Prime Minister Netanyahu speaking to you live from the United Nations," he began. "We have not forgotten you, not even for a second. The people of Israel are with you. We will not falter, and we will not rest until we bring all of you home."
NETANYAHU EXPANDS SCOPE OF PLANNED GAZA TAKEOVER, SAYS ISRAEL HAS 'NO CHOICE BUT TO FINISH THE JOB'
Netanyahu then turned his message to those holding the hostages in Gaza, including the leaders of Hamas, who could presumably hear his speech. He demanded the release of the 48 remaining hostages and gave an additional warning.
"Free the hostages now! If you do, you will live. If you don't, Israel will hunt you down," he said.
When Abbas spoke on Thursday, he slammed Israel's "genocide" in Gaza, insisting his party is ready to take over the security and governance of the enclave. Abbas appealed to President Donald Trump for peace and also demanded "full membership in the United Nations," noting that several European nations recognized a Palestinian state over the course of the UNGA.
"Palestine is ours. Jerusalem is the jewel of our hearts and our eternal capital. We will not leave our homeland. We will not leave our lands," Abbas declared.
Abbas addressed the U.N. General Assembly virtually after the State Department refused to approve his visa to travel to New York for the conference, citing support of terrorism.
Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
What's Your Reaction?
