Dozens of delegations walked out of the UN General Assembly hall on September 24 as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address, in a dramatic protest over the war in Gaza.

News agencies estimated around 70 delegations joined the walkout during the UNGA-81 general debate. The Philippines confirmed its diplomats were among those who left the hall.

The protest was the largest walkout during an Israeli leader’s speech at the UN in recent years. Delegates who remained included the United States and a handful of allies.

Netanyahu used the speech to defend Israel’s military campaign and criticise the UN, saying the world body had become hostile to Israel. He faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over alleged war crimes in Gaza, which Israel denies.

Palestinian officials welcomed the walkout as a sign of Israel’s growing international isolation over the war.

The war in Gaza, now in its third year, has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians according to health authorities in the territory, and drawn widespread international condemnation.