Netanyahu’s UN General Assembly speech today: LIVE coverage

What to expect before Netanyahu’s speech at the UN

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to deliver a speech to the General Assembly on Friday after leaders publicly condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza on Thursday.

NEW YORK – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to deliver a speech to the General Assembly on Friday after leaders publicly condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza on Thursday.

Speeches at the UN General Assembly this week focused mainly on Israel’s war with Hamas and the fighting in Lebanon.

GO TO: STREETS CLOSED | PROTESTS

On Thursday, both Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, and Abdallah Bouhabib, Lebanon’s foreign minister, used their platforms to criticize Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem on September 2, 2024. (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg / POOL / AFP) (Photo: OHAD ZWIGENBERG/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Abbas began his speech with “we will not leave,” accusing Israel of destroying Gaza and making it uninhabitable.

Bouhabib called Israel’s actions “acts tantamount to war crimes.”

Israel’s ambassador to the UN responded to Abbas’ speech within minutes, saying: “Abbas spoke for 26 minutes and never once said the word ‘Hamas.’ Since the October 7 massacre, Abbas has not condemned Hamas for its crimes against humanity, he said.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 26: Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine, addresses the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the United Nations Headquarters on September 26, 2024 in New York. World leaders gathered for

Israel maintains that its military operations are legitimate and necessary for defense.

Protests are expected to take place on Friday before Netanyahu’s speech.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – September 24: Protesters gather in front of the New York Public Library, holding a large image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before marching to the United Nations to protest Netanyahu’s actions in the Middle East

On Thursday, the headquarters and parts of downtown were surrounded by protests following Netanyahu’s arrival in New York.

Dates of the UN General Assembly in 2024

The last day of the high-level General Debate is Monday, September 30.

According to the NYPD, the following streets are closed:

1st Avenue (upper roadway) closed with managed access from 42nd to 49th streets. The 1st Avenue Tunnel (lower roadway) will remain open to passenger vehicles and MTA buses only.
42nd Street between FDR and 2nd Avenue closed with managed access. (The 42 FDR Street exit ramp will open after 7 p.m. to westbound traffic only.)
43rd Street between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue.
44th Street between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue.
45th Street between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue.
46th Street between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue.
48th Street between 1st Avenue and FDR.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.