Netanyahu rejects genocide accusations, defends Israel’s war at UN

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected accusations that Israel committed genocide, saying the country instead acted to prevent genocide, as he defended Israel’s war during an address to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday.

A group of delegates walked out of the chamber as Netanyahu took the podium. He criticized those who left, calling them “moral cowards,” and defended Israel’s military actions following the Oct. 7 attacks that sparked the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu also defended Israel’s actions against Iran and said the country’s survival remains at stake.

“We’re going to win. We have no other choice,” Netanyahu said, while criticizing protesters and delegates who walked out.

He compared the number of people killed in the Oct. 7 attacks with the impact of the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States, saying the equivalent scale for a country of 10 million people would be about 40,000 Americans killed in less than 24 hours.