Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly rejected allegations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza during his address to the United Nations General Assembly, calling the accusations the "biggest lie of the century".
Netanyahu defended Israel's military actions, saying the country was acting in self-defence. He stated that Israel "didn't commit genocide" but instead "prevented genocide", rejecting criticism over the scale of its military campaign in Gaza.
His speech was met with a walkout by dozens of delegates as he took the podium. Netanyahu responded by calling those who left "moral cowards" and said his critics could not silence him or what he described as the truth about Israel's actions. Reports said representatives from nearly 70 countries either left the hall or remained absent during his address.
One of the most striking moments of Netanyahu's speech came when he held up a pager while recalling Israel's 2024 operation targeting Hezbollah's communications network in Lebanon.
"Remember the beepers?" Netanyahu said while displaying the device. He added that Hezbollah "certainly remembers them" as he highlighted Israel's military campaign against the Iran-backed group.
Netanyahu was referring to the September 17, 2024, explosions in which thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah members detonated across Lebanon and parts of Syria. The blasts killed 12 people and injured nearly 3,000, according to reports at the time. Hezbollah blamed Israel for the operation, while Netanyahu later acknowledged Israel's role.
During his UN speech, Netanyahu claimed that much of Hezbollah's arsenal had been destroyed and said the group's leadership had been severely weakened. He described Israel as having fought a multi-front war involving Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and other regional actors.
Netanyahu also criticised New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has accused him of being responsible for atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza. Netanyahu rejected the allegations and accused Mamdani and other critics of spreading what he described as false claims about Israel. Mamdani, in response, said Netanyahu's remarks were an attempt to defend Israel's conduct in Gaza and pointed to the International Criminal Court proceedings against the Israeli leader.
The Israeli prime minister also used his address to defend Israel's military actions against Iran and criticised Qatar and Türkiye over their positions on the conflict. He praised US President Donald Trump and described Washington as Israel's key partner in confronting threats in the region.
The UN appearance came amid continued international criticism of Israel's military operations and growing diplomatic tensions over the conflicts involving Gaza, Hezbollah and Iran. Netanyahu's government has consistently rejected allegations of genocide, saying its military operations are directed against Hamas and that Israel takes measures to protect civilians.
The speech also came just weeks before Israel's scheduled general election, adding a domestic political dimension to Netanyahu's appearance at the UN. The pager demonstration, along with his remarks on Gaza, Hezbollah and Iran, formed part of an extensive defence of Israel's military actions and his government's approach to the conflicts in the region.
