Netanyahu tells UN that Israel 'must finish the job' in Gaza after dozens of delegates walk out

The Israeli prime minister also sharply denounced Western countries on Friday for embracing Palestinian statehood

Delegates walk out of the UN General Assembly in New York as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to address world leaders. Picture: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu sharply denounced Western countries on Friday for embracing Palestinian statehood and accused them of buckling under pressure from activists and others who have accused Israel of war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly, the Israeli leader pushed back in harsh terms against a flurry of diplomatic moves by leading US allies that deepened Israel’s international isolation over its conduct of the nearly two-year-old war against Hamas militants in Gaza.