Dozens of delegations walk out or stay away as Netanyahu addresses UN General Assembly

Dozens of national delegations either walked out of the hall or chose not to attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to the United Nations General Assembly, in one of the most visible displays of international displeasure directed at an Israeli leader at the world body.

The empty seats and staged departures underscored the deep diplomatic isolation Israel faces across much of the international community amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Delegations from numerous countries made clear through their absence or exit that they were unwilling to serve as an audience for the Israeli leader's remarks.

The walkouts and boycotts are a well-established form of protest at the General Assembly, where member states use physical presence — or the lack of it — to register political objections. Netanyahu nonetheless delivered his address to those delegations that remained in the chamber.