UN General Assembly 2025 updates: Netanyahu, Sharif, Li among speakers
These were the updates from the 2025 UNGA General Debate for Friday, September 26.
Netanyahu at the UN: Israeli prime minister arrives under diplomatic fire
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- The fourth day of speeches at the United Nations General Debate is under way.
- Following speeches by dozens of world leaders criticising Israel and calling for the end of its war on Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes, addressed the General Assembly, with many delegates walking out in protest.
- Protests in solidarity with Palestine greeted Netanyahu as he arrived in New York to address the annual event.
- Friday’s roster of speakers also includes leaders from Pakistan, China, Ireland and Greece.
That’s a wrap for us
That’s it for our live coverage of the fourth day of the UNGA general debate.
Learn more about Netanyahu’s address today, here.
Read our examination of what increased recognition of a Palestinian state means in real terms, here.
Or revisit our coverage from the first day of the general debate, here, the second day, here, and the third day, here.
Here’s what happened today
This live page will soon be closed. Here were today’s top updates:
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the UNGA, signalling he saw no end in sight for the war in Gaza despite international condemnation.
- Netanyahu also dismissed a UN commission’s findings that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, saying the forced displacement of civilians undermined the assessment.
- Ireland’s prime minister gave an impassioned rebuke of the war, calling on UN member states to fulfil commitments not to support further fighting.
- China’s Li vowed renewed support for the UN, in a counterpoint to the US retreat from the organisation.
Former Israeli official says Netanyahu speech showed Israel’s increasing isolation
The departure of many delegates when Netanyahu took the floor at the UNGA highlights the widening gap between Israel and the international community, says Alon Liel, a former director general of Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
“It was heartbreaking to see how isolated Israelis are internationally … it showed the huge gap between Israel and the rest of the world and between the Jewish world and the rest of the world. So it was a very difficult scene to watch,” Liel told Al Jazeera.
Liel opined that Netanyahu wanted to deliver the clear message that Israel is not interested in peace with the Palestinians.
“But this is the biggest mistake that he makes because the consensus today behind a Palestinian state is growing, and there is international determination behind it, so it is only stressing how far away we are from the international community,” he said.
Barbados decries backslide on climate commitments
Like several small island nations, Barbados’s Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has said her country is on the front lines of climate change.
She pointed to rulings by the International Court of Justice and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights that have issued advisory opinions that “have affirmed the legal rights and entitlements of citizens who must, on a daily basis, confront the impact of the climate crisis”.
That comes after US President Donald Trump earlier this week called climate change the “greatest con” in the world, as he warned a pivot to renewable energy was weakening world powers.
Mottley also called for a rotating permanent member seat for island nations on the UN Security Council.
“You cannot ask us to show up for family photos and votes when you need them, and then exclude us from the family’s decision-making, as if you are the grown-ups and we are the children,” she said.
Ahmed al-Sharaa’s high-stakes bid to remake Syria
Al Jazeera’s The Take examines Amhad al-Sharaa’s historic UNGA address and his pledge to usher in a new era for Syria.
Rising to power after the toppling of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad in December of last year, al-Sharaa’s speech marked a remarkable reversal of fortune. After years of being an international pariah, he has been increasingly embraced by the international community.
But questions remain over his ability to beckon in the new Syria he has envisioned.
Watch below.
UN stands by initial findings on Trump’s ‘escalatorgate’
Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson of UN chief Antonio Guterres, says the international body is investigating the failure of Trump’s escalator at the General Assembly earlier this week.
Trump had claimed that the failure was “sabotage”, saying that the UN “ought to be ashamed”.
The UN had said previously that the escalator stopped as a result of an accidental activation of a safety feature, likely by one of Trump’s own videographers.
“We launched a deeper investigation; we’ve told the US they’re welcome to join us as we look further, but obviously, we stand by our preliminary findings,” Dujarric told reporters today.
Netanyahu, Trump send diverging message on Gaza ahead of meeting
As we’ve been reporting, Netanyahu has delivered a defiant message on the war in Gaza and Israeli operations throughout the Middle East, “We’re not done yet.”
That stands in stark contrast to Trump’s recent messaging as he has met with regional leaders on the sidelines of the UNGA. Speaking to reporters earlier today, he said he thought a deal to end the fighting was close: “I think we have a deal.”
The US – under both Biden and Trump – has long avoided leveraging the billions in military aid it sends to Israel to force an end to the fighting. But the Trump administration has been increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu, particularly following a surprise strike on Qatar earlier this month.
The issue could come to a head next week, when the US president hosts the Israeli leader at the White House.
Greek leader says Sudan war risks ‘migration crisis of unimaginable proportions’ in Europe
Mitsotakis has called for European countries to help end the violence in Sudan, not just for humanitarian reasons but also for the knock-on effects it could have for Europe.
“There’s only one path forward: silence the guns and renew a coordinated political process,” he said.
“The world must not forget the people of Sudan. We owe them nothing less than peace and the chance of a future built on hope, not despair,” he added. “And as Europeans, it is also in our interest to take an active role in resolving the Sudan crisis. Otherwise, we risk facing a migration crisis of unimaginable proportions.”
Greece has recently implemented a hardline response to migration, imposing a refugee deportation policy that rights groups say tests the limits of EU law.
Greece’s Mitsotakis warns war in Gaza risks Israel being isolated globally
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has warned of escalating global conflict while calling for urgent action in Gaza.
“Today we’re witnessing the highest number of armed conflicts since the end of the second world war,” he told the UNGA.
On the situation in Gaza, Mitsotakis stressed the need to protect civilians.
“No military targets, no matter how valuable they are, can justify the deaths of thousands of children, the forced displacement of over a million Palestinians within the Gaza Strip and the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people,” he added.
While Mitsotakis reiterated Greece’s support for Israel’s security, he cautioned against further escalation in Gaza.
“The continuation of this course of action will ultimately harm Israel’s own interests, leading to an erosion of international support,” he warned.
The Greek leader emphasised the importance of a two-state solution, calling for a ceasefire and large-scale humanitarian aid into Gaza to prevent further suffering.
If you’re just joining us
Let’s get you up to speed:
- Many delegates at the UNGA walked out in protest as Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu took the stage.
- Netanyahu listed Israel’s regional attacks and assassinations, claiming he has reshaped the Middle East. He hailed Israel’s 12-day war on Iran, saying the Israeli army had “neutralised Iran’s missile defences”.
- He added that while Hamas forces have been diminished, they still pose a threat and “vow to repeat the atrocities of October 7”. “We are not done yet.”
- Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has warned the world of escalating climate disasters as his country faces another season of devastating floods.
- Chinese Premier Li Qiang says a “major cause” of the global economic uncertainty was the rise in “unilateral and protectionist measures such as tariff hikes”.
- Micheal Martin, Ireland’s prime minister, tells the UNGA that Ireland stands in solidarity with Gaza, criticising Israel’s war as an “affront to human dignity and decency”.
Protester says New Yorkers want Netanyahu arrested
Al-Sharif Nassef, who marched along with thousands of others in New York to denounce the Israeli prime minister, says it is a “shame” that Netanyahu is in the city instead of The Hague to face the war crime charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“All the New Yorkers who are here today support his arrest. He is not welcome here,” Nassef told Al Jazeera.
“And Inshallah [God willing], under the new mayorship, he will be arrested as soon as he steps forward in New York City.”
New York Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamadani has promised to enforce the ICC’s arrest warrant against Netanyahu. But the US is not party to the tribunal, so it is not clear whether the New York Police Department has the legal power to detain the Israeli prime minister.
‘Unconscionable that US officials rolling red carpet for Netanyahu’
Despite the US administration’s unwavering support for Israel’s war on Gaza, more than 84 percent of people in the US support an immediate ceasefire, according to an opinion poll released last month.
That sentiment is reflected in New York City’s Times Square, where a large crowd of demonstrators have taken to the streets in a show of support for Palestinians and to protest against Netanyahu, who faces an arrest ICC warrant for alleged war crimes.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, a representative of the Palestinian Youth Movement said the demonstration wants to deliver one message to the Israeli prime minister: “He is not welcome to New York City and it is unconscionable that elected officials in the US and in New York City and nationally are rolling the red carpet for him”.
The representative added, “We are a transnational group of Palestinian and Arab Jews fighting for the liberation of our homeland and an end to this genocide, and we are surrounded by thousands of New Yorkers who share that struggle with us and are here to demand an arms embargo and demand real consequences for Israel’s genocide against Palestinians.”
Hamas says walkouts before Netanyahu’s UN speech show ‘isolation’ of Israel
Hamas said a mass walkout of delegations before Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech at the United Nations on Friday showed Israel’s “isolation” as a result of the Gaza war.
“Boycotting Netanyahu’s speech is one manifestation of Israel’s isolation and the consequences of the war of extermination,” Taher al-Nunu, the media adviser to the head of Hamas’s political bureau, said in a statement.
Yunus finishes speech vowing to support multilateralism
Yunus has ended his speech.
“We must remember that the challenges ahead cannot be made by any single country alone, and we must also remember that in today’s world where one nation falls into crisis,” he said.
“When crisis erupts in one corner of the globe, the security of the whole world is put at risk,” the interim Bangladeshi leader said.
Yunus raises alarm over worsening Rohingya crisis
The chief adviser of the interim government in Bangladesh warned that eight years on, “the ongoing conflict in our neighbouring country, Myanmar, has created a situation of deep concern for the entire region”.
He stressed that the crisis is far from resolution, as Rohingya continue to flee persecution in Rakhine State.
“Deprivation of rights and persecution of the Rohingya rooted in cultural identity–based politics continue in Rakhine,” he said, adding that discriminatory policies must be reversed without delay.
The Nobel Laureate called for a political solution involving all ethnic stakeholders in Myanmar, ensuring the Rohingya are integrated “with equal rights as equal citizens”.
Moreover, Yunus warned that international aid for the Rohingya was drying up, citing the UN’s World Food Programme.
“Without urgent new funding, monthly rations may have to be halved to a paltry $6 per person,” Yunus warned, and this could deepen hunger, worsen malnutrition, and drive the Rohingya to desperate measures.
‘We are witnessing a genocide happening live’ in Gaza, Yunus says
Yunus has said that Bangladesh agrees with a UN human rights commission’s finding that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.
“We do agree with the UN independent international inquiry commission that we are witnessing a genocide happening live,” he said.
“Unfortunately, on behalf of humanity, we are not doing enough to stop it. If this continues, neither future generations nor history will forgive us,” he said.
Yunus highlights contribution of migrant workers
Remittances from Bangladeshi migrant workers are helping to support the South Asian country, Yunus has said.
About 7.1 million Bangladeshis live abroad, according to the International Organization for Migration. They sent home about $18bn in 2019, according to the World Bank.
“Their contribution is not only vital for Bangladesh, it is equally valuable for host countries where they provide essential services in high demand. Migration is therefore mutually beneficial: good for us, good for them,” he said.
He called for countries hosting Bangladeshi workers to “ensure empathy and protection”.
Yunus hails country’s uprising: ‘the path to renewal is never lost’
Yunus has underscored that it is the second time since last year’s Gen Z-led uprising that he has addressed the UNGA.
“Last year, in this august assembly, I spoke to you from a country that had just witnessed a popular uprising. I shared with you our aspirations for transformation,” he said.
“Today, I stand here to tell you how far we have come on that journey. Out of every 100 people on this planet, nearly three live in Bangladesh,” he said.
“But our story is not important because of our numbers nor because of our geopolitical location. Our story matters because it is a reminder of the extraordinary power of ordinary people,” he said.
“It matters because it inspires hope among nations everywhere, that no matter how deep the crisis, no matter how impossible the solution may seem, the path to renewal is never lost,” he said.
Bangladesh’s Yunus begins speech
Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of the interim government in Bangladesh, has begun his address.
Protests in the South Asian country last year toppled the 15-year rule of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Yunus’s interim government has ruled since, until a general election projected for next year is held.
Bangladesh has taken the stage earlier than expected, following a change in today’s programme.
Martin urges nations to reconsider support for Israel
The Irish PM has issued an urgent call for countries with influence over Israel to reconsider their role in the ongoing nearly two-year war.
“All members of this United Nations must reflect on what more they can do. And I especially call on those who have influence to use it urgently to maximum effect,” Martin said.
He said states supplying military support to Israel must “reflect carefully on the implications of their actions and the consequences for the Palestinian people”.
Calling for an end to the violence, Martin insisted there must be an immediate ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages and “unimpeded access for humanitarian workers to Gaza”.
“There can be no impunity.”