Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the 81st session of the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday, September 24, 2026, dismissing allegations of genocide in Gaza as "the biggest lie of the century." His speech was marked by a walkout of dozens of delegates, an action Netanyahu characterized as the work of "moral cowards." He asserted Israel’s right to continue military operations against Iran, stating that defending Israel also serves to protect other nations.
The address followed pre-recorded remarks from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who spoke from Ramallah after the U.S. government denied him a visa for the second consecutive year. Abbas accused Israel of carrying out a "genocidal war" and urged the international community to stop supplying weapons used against Palestinians. The 90-year-old leader called for a two-state solution and emphasized that Palestinians would not leave their homeland or allow others to decide their future.
Netanyahu used visual aids during his speech, including holding up a pager to reference the September 17, 2024, remote detonation of devices used by Hezbollah in Lebanon, which killed 12 people and wounded 3,000. He compared the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack—which killed roughly 1,200 people—to a hypothetical slaughter of 40,000 Americans. Netanyahu also thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for his actions against Iran and addressed settler violence in the West Bank, labeling it the work of a "handful of young juvenile delinquents" while maintaining that he does not stand for vigilantism.
For residents in the region, the continuation of hostilities means ongoing disruption to basic services, health care, and safety. In Gaza, where most of the territory is destroyed, the lack of progress toward reconstruction or disarmament by Hamas means civilians continue to face airstrikes near military-held zones. In the West Bank, a recent surge in violence includes incidents like a car-ramming at a military checkpoint on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, which left an Israeli reservist in critical condition. The political deadlock reinforces current restrictions on movement, trade, and legal rights across the territories.
The international response at the U.N. follows the Palestinian Mission’s organized walkout. The U.S. government’s decision to deny visas to Palestinian officials for two years reflects current diplomatic access. As Israel prepares for upcoming elections, Netanyahu’s rhetoric serves as both a foreign policy statement and a domestic message. The next major steps include the processing of International Criminal Court warrants, which a New York official has urged federal authorities to execute, though the specific legal dates for such actions remain unconfirmed.