Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has attacked the recognition of a Palestinian state by multiple Western countries during a combative speech at the UN General Assembly.
Netanyahu labelled the recognition moves a "mark of shame" that sent the message "murdering Jews pays off".
Dozens of officials and diplomats staged a walkout as he took to the podium, leaving large parts of the conference hall empty.
Outside, protesters against Israel's war in Gaza gathered in Times Square.
Israel has come under huge international pressure over its military action in Gaza, culminating in the UK, France, Canada, Australia, and other countries recognising the State of Palestine this week.
In his opening remarks, Netanyahu displayed a map labelled "The Curse" that he said showed Iranian proxy groups across the Middle East.
He then highlighted Israeli military operations across the past year against Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Hamas in Gaza, and Iran.
He thanked US President Donald Trump for American involvement in bombing Iran's Fordo nuclear site in June, and drew parallels between Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack on Israel and the 9/11 attack on the US.
He said the two countries were fighting the same enemies, pointing to chants of "death to America" by groups linked to Iran.
The Israeli prime minister repeated that Israel would not allow a Palestinian state to exist and said this position was supported by the vast majority of Israelis.
He went on to refute the conclusion of a UN commission of inquiry that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, claiming the charge was "baseless".
He also rejected statements by multiple UN agencies that Israel is deliberately restricting the amount of aid entering Gaza.
There are 48 hostages remaining in Gaza, 20 of whom are thought to be alive.
International journalists have been banned by Israel from entering the Gaza Strip independently since the start of the war nearly two years ago, making verifying claims from both sides difficult. Some journalists have been taken into Gaza by the IDF under controlled access.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 65,549 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
Source : BBC
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