UNGA 81: 77 Countries Walk Out as Netanyahu Addresses Nearly Empty Hall

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced a major diplomatic protest at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, September 24, 2026, as representatives from 77 countries were either absent from the chamber or left when he began his address.

The mass departure left large sections of the General Assembly hall empty as Netanyahu took the podium to defend Israel’s military campaigns in Gaza and elsewhere in the Middle East.

However, the 77-country figure needs an important qualification. It was an Israeli tally of delegations whose seats were empty during the speech. It included both countries that deliberately walked out and countries whose representatives did not attend the session in the first place.

Israeli officials specifically said Egypt and Jordan did not take their seats but did not participate in the organised walkout, while Pakistan’s delegation reportedly left the chamber but remained nearby to listen to Netanyahu’s speech.

Why did the delegations leave?

The protest came amid intense international criticism of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, its policies in the occupied West Bank and military actions involving Lebanon and Syria.

Anadolu Agency reported that the departing delegations were protesting Israel’s conduct in Gaza and its wider regional military operations. The agency also noted that a UN independent commission concluded in September 2025 that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza — a finding Israel rejects.

Netanyahu used his address to reject accusations of genocide and defend Israel’s military campaign against Hamas. He also defended Israeli attacks on Iran and criticised several of Israel’s international opponents, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The Israeli prime minister responded to the departing delegates by saying: “If there are any other moral cowards who haven’t left this hall, please do so now.”

The Palestinian mission had also urged other diplomatic missions to join the protest, according to reports from the UN session.

The 77 countries listed

According to the Israeli tally, the following 77 countries/delegations were either absent or left at the start of Netanyahu’s speech:

Arab countries and Palestine — 18

1. Syria
2. Palestine
3. Jordan
4. Lebanon
5. Iraq
6. Saudi Arabia
7. Qatar
8. Kuwait
9. Oman
10. Yemen
11. Egypt
12. Sudan
13. Tunisia
14. Algeria
15. Libya
16. Mauritania
17. Somalia
18. Comoros

Asia and Türkiye — 14

19. Türkiye
20. Iran
21. Pakistan
22. Afghanistan
23. Bangladesh
24. Indonesia
25. Malaysia
26. Brunei Darussalam
27. Maldives
28. Myanmar
29. North Korea
30. Turkmenistan
31. Uzbekistan
32. Kyrgyzstan

Africa — 20

33. South Africa
34. Senegal
35. Djibouti
36. Angola
37. Republic of the Congo
38. Democratic Republic of the Congo
39. Liberia
40. Eritrea
41. Chad
42. Central African Republic
43. Madagascar
44. Niger
45. Botswana
46. Uganda
47. Lesotho
48. Eswatini
49. Equatorial Guinea
50. Mozambique
51. Namibia
52. Kenya

Latin America and Caribbean — 17

53. Suriname
54. Panama
55. Venezuela
56. Antigua and Barbuda
57. Belize
58. Barbados
59. Colombia
60. Dominica
61. Nicaragua
62. Peru
63. Saint Lucia
64. Bahamas
65. Bolivia
66. Cuba
67. Guyana
68. Brazil
69. Chile

Europe — 6

70. North Macedonia
71. San Marino
72. Slovenia
73. Bosnia and Herzegovina
74. Spain
75. Ireland

Oceania — 2

76. Tuvalu
77. Tonga

Not all 77 physically walked out

This distinction is important for publication. While several reports describe a mass walkout, the more precise description is that 77 delegations were counted as absent or having left at the beginning of Netanyahu’s address.

For example, Anadolu’s review of video footage estimated that nearly 70 countries participated in the protest, while Israel’s subsequent tally reached 77 by including delegations that were not present.

There were also notable differences between reports concerning individual countries. Israel’s list includes Kenya and Ireland, for example, while Anadolu reported Kenya as represented during the speech and Ireland as one of the countries that kept a representative in the chamber.

The United States, Germany and several European countries remained in the chamber. China was represented by a single diplomat, while the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain also remained seated.

The dramatic scene nevertheless underscored the deep diplomatic divisions surrounding Israel’s conduct of the Gaza war and its broader military operations. Netanyahu continued speaking despite the departures, delivering an extended defence of Israel’s actions before a substantially depleted General Assembly chamber.

Editorial note: For accuracy, I recommend your headline and story say “77 delegations absent or walked out” rather than simply “77 countries walked out.” The latter overstates what the available evidence establishes.