Netanyahu calls Gaza genocide claims 'biggest lie of the century'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly on Thursday that allegations of genocide in Gaza are "the biggest lie of the century", and defended Israel's strikes on Iran. Scores of delegates walked out as he took the podium, following a Palestinian Mission call; he called them "moral cowards". Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack killed about 1,200 people; at least 73,922 Palestinians have since died, the Gaza Health Ministry says.
Source
United Nations / UNGA · read the original report ↗
Desk check · some claims need care
What the desk checked (5)
- Netanyahu called genocide allegations in Gaza 'the biggest lie of the century' and labelled walking-out delegates 'moral cowards'. — Directly quoted and attributed to Netanyahu in the source.
- Netanyahu said leaders of countries that walked out privately thanked Israel for striking Iran's nuclear capability. — Attributed to Netanyahu; no independent corroboration or named leaders in the source.
- At least 73,922 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive. — Figure appears in source, attributed to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, described as generally considered reliable internationally.
- The October 7, 2023 attack killed about 1,200 people and 251 were kidnapped. — Figures appear in the source; consistent across mentions.
- The 2024 pager detonations wounded more than 3,000 and killed 12, including two children. — Figures stated in source without a named source; internally consistent.
Analysts’ view opinion
Netanyahu's General Assembly appearance read less as an exercise in diplomatic persuasion than as a defiance statement aimed at a domestic audience — scheduled for Israeli prime time, with an election season in view. The emptied hall and the coordinated walkout answering the Palestinian Mission's call are a visible marker of Israel's diplomatic isolation, even as his description of striking Iran as one of the easiest decisions he has made publicly reaffirmed a doctrine of pre-emptive regional deterrence. His own claim that some leaders thank Israel privately underlines the gap between public condemnation and quieter security calculations in the region.
- The walkout is symbolic rather than material, but it signals a political climate in which harder measures — arms supply restrictions, trade steps, legal pressure — become easier for governments to justify.
- Publicly owning the strike on Iran's nuclear capability signals that Israel intends to retain a pre-emptive option, and Tehran and its regional partners will read it exactly that way.
- The ceasefire has halted the heaviest fighting but remains fragile: Hamas is neither disarmed nor out of power, reconstruction has not begun, and Israel still controls most of Gaza.
- The visa denial that forced Abbas to speak remotely shows how diplomatically weakened the Palestinian Authority is, with the advocacy burden shifting to third states.
- The ICC warrant question and a New York mayor's call for arrest point to a widening trend of legal constraints on Israeli leaders' travel and diplomatic engagement.
What to watch — Whether the stalled next phases of the ceasefire move at all, or whether the states that walked out convert symbolism into concrete pressure through arms policy, recognition moves or legal forums.
This story settles nothing about the genocide allegations themselves; Netanyahu's claim of private thanks from other leaders is unverified, and the Gaza toll is attributed to the territory's Health Ministry.
Deep dive
Research brief · 8 facts · 6 dates · exam-readyThe brief
Context
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly on Thursday, September 24, 2026, rejecting accusations that Israel committed genocide in Gaza and defending Israel's strikes on Iran. Scores of delegates walked out as he took the podium after the Palestinian Mission to the UN urged member states to stage a collective walkout. The war began with the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people in Israel; the Gaza Health Ministry says at least 73,922 Palestinians have since been killed. A ceasefire agreed the previous October halted the heaviest fighting and freed remaining hostages, but further steps have stalled.
Key facts
- Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly on September 24, 2026 that genocide allegations against Israel are "the biggest lie of the century".
- He called delegates who walked out "moral cowards" and said attacking Iran "was one of the easiest decisions I've ever had to make".
- The Palestinian Mission to the UN messaged many of the 193 UN member nations urging a collective walkout when Netanyahu was announced.
- Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 on October 7, 2023.
- At least 73,922 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's subsequent offensive, per the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, whose figures the international community generally considers reliable.
- Netanyahu held up a pager, recalling September 17, 2024, when Israel remotely detonated thousands of pagers given to Hezbollah, wounding more than 3,000 and killing 12, including two children.
- The US denied Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other top officials visas for a second consecutive year; the 90-year-old spoke by prerecorded video from Ramallah.
- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has called Netanyahu a "war criminal" and urged federal authorities to execute an ICC warrant, conceding the city lacks that authority.
Timeline
- 1967Israel captures the West Bank and east Jerusalem in the war; Palestinians want both for a future state.
- October 7, 2023Hamas-led militants attack Israel, killing about 1,200 people and kidnapping 251, starting the Gaza war.
- September 17, 2024Israel remotely detonates thousands of pagers distributed to Hezbollah in Lebanon; 12 killed, over 3,000 wounded.
- Last October (per source)Israel and Hamas agree a ceasefire that halts the heaviest fighting and leads to release of remaining hostages; further steps stall.
- Tuesday, September 22New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani meets US President Donald Trump in New York.
- Thursday, September 24, 2026Abbas addresses UNGA in prerecorded remarks; Netanyahu speaks amid mass walkouts, cheers and boos.
Who has a stake
- Benjamin Netanyahu / Israeli government — Defending Israel's war conduct and strikes on Iran against genocide and war-crimes charges, amid growing isolation and upcoming Israeli elections.
- Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank — At least 73,922 killed per Gaza Health Ministry; stalled reconstruction, continued airstrikes, settler violence and blocked statehood.
- Palestinian Mission to the UN and President Mahmoud Abbas — Seeking tangible international action, arms curbs on Israel and recognition; sidelined by US visa denials.
- UN General Assembly (President Khalilur Rahman, 193 members) — Credibility of the multilateral forum as a venue for the conflict; managing disorder and walkouts in the hall.
- United States (President Donald Trump) — Thanked by Netanyahu for action against Iran; controls visas for Palestinian officials and any enforcement of an ICC warrant.
- Zohran Mamdani, Mayor of New York City — Publicly demands Netanyahu's arrest as a "war criminal"; accused by Netanyahu of endangering Jewish New Yorkers.
- Hezbollah and Iran — Targets of Israeli operations, including the 2024 pager attack and strikes on Iran's nuclear programme.
Why it matters
The walkout and duelling speeches show how deeply the Gaza war has split the UN system, with genocide and war-crimes allegations now central to mainstream diplomatic language. With the ceasefire stalled, Hamas neither disarmed nor out of power, and Israel controlling most of Gaza, there is no visible path to reconstruction or a two-state settlement. For India and other states, the episode raises hard questions about international law enforcement, ICC warrants and the limits of multilateral pressure.
UPSC angle
Prelims pointers
- UN General Assembly has 193 member states; its President at the time of the speech was Khalilur Rahman.
- Gaza war trigger: October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack — about 1,200 killed, 251 kidnapped.
- Gaza Health Ministry toll cited: at least 73,922 Palestinians killed.
- Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem in the 1967 war; settlements are illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
- September 17, 2024: Israeli pager detonations against Hezbollah in Lebanon killed 12 and wounded over 3,000.
- International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant enforcement rests with national/federal authorities, not city governments.
Mains framing
The UNGA walkout during Netanyahu's speech marks the convergence of two trends: Israel's deepening diplomatic isolation over Gaza, and the Palestinian leadership's attempt to convert rhetorical sympathy into concrete state action. Causes lie in the scale of casualties since October 7, 2023 — about 1,200 Israelis killed in the Hamas-led attack and at least 73,922 Palestinians killed in the subsequent offensive per the Gaza Health Ministry — coupled with a stalled ceasefire in which Israel retains control of most of Gaza, Hamas remains armed and in power, and reconstruction has not begun. Netanyahu's rejection of genocide charges as "the biggest lie of the century", his defence of strikes on Iran, and his dismissal of West Bank settler violence as the work of a "handful of young juvenile delinquents" sit against the fact that settlements are illegal under international law and arrests of settlers have been few. Implications include the erosion of the UNGA as a deliberative space, contested enforceability of ICC warrants (as in Mamdani's call), and the weakening of the Palestinian Authority, whose president was denied US visas for a second year. A way forward, on the source's own terms, would require restoring momentum on the stalled ceasefire steps — disarmament questions, reconstruction and protection of civilians — since Netanyahu has ruled out Palestinian statehood under his leadership and calls the PA no partner for peace.
Key terms
- UN General Assembly (UNGA)
- The UN's plenary body of all 193 member states, where each holds one vote; its annual high-level debate hosts world leaders' speeches.
- Gaza Health Ministry
- Health authority under the Hamas-run government in Gaza; its casualty figures are generally considered reliable by the international community.
- International Criminal Court (ICC)
- Court that issues arrest warrants for war crimes and related offences; execution depends on national authorities, as Mamdani acknowledged.
- Palestinian Authority (PA)
- Palestinian governing body led by President Mahmoud Abbas; Netanyahu argues it is not a partner for peace.
- Hezbollah
- Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, target of Israel's September 17, 2024 pager detonation operation.
- Israeli settlements
- Jewish communities built in territory captured in 1967; illegal under international law, seen as an obstacle to a contiguous Palestinian state.
Practice questions
- Critically examine how the Gaza war has affected the credibility and effectiveness of the UN General Assembly as a forum for conflict resolution.
- Discuss the legal status of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem and their implications for a two-state solution.
- To what extent can international mechanisms such as ICC arrest warrants constrain the conduct of states in armed conflict? Illustrate with recent developments.
Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.