‘Occupied territory,’ ‘ethnic cleansing,’ ‘genocidal mindset’ – Harsh criticism of Israel at UN General Assembly

The opening of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City on Tuesday marked a return to form for several world leaders as they took to the podium to criticize Israel. 

The tone was set by UN Sec.-Gen. António Guterres, who briefly mentioned the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, before turning his attention to condemn Israel’s waging of the subsequent war in the Gaza Strip. 

“We must not lose sight of the devastating situation in the occupied Palestinian territory,” Guterres said in his opening remarks. 

“It is nearly three years since the abhorrent terror attacks by Hamas on 7 October,” he said, “but what followed was an onslaught on Palestinians in Gaza with a scale of killing and destruction unlike anything I have witnessed in my years as Secretary-General.” 

The UN leader then turned his focus to Judea and Samaria, which he called the “occupied West Bank,” warning that Israel’s policies there threaten the “two-state solution.” 

“Meanwhile, violence, displacement and settlement expansion by Israel in the occupied West Bank are bulldozing the path to peace and raising the specter of ethnic cleansing,” Guterres claimed. “We cannot allow the two-state solution to disappear before our eyes.” 

His statements, which were quickly fact-checked by online pro-Israel accounts, provided a preview of the focus of several other world leaders, who would use their turn at the Green Podium to point a finger at Israel. 

🇺🇳 António Guterres: “The scale of killing in Gaza is unlike anything I've witnessed in my years as Secretary-General.”

FACT-CHECK: ❌
Under Guterres's watch since 2017:
🇸🇾 Syria: 120,000+ killed
🇸🇩 Sudan: 150,000+ killed
🇪🇹 Ethiopia: 162,000+ killed
🇾🇪 Yemen: 200,000+ killed pic.twitter.com/PBH74oxShw

— UN Watch (@UNWatch) September 22, 2026

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a frequent critic of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, took the opportunity to accuse Israel of having “a genocidal mindset,” of turning Gaza into a “concentration camp,” and of making Gaza “the world's largest graveyard for children.” 

“In Gaza alone, over the past three years, we have lost 74,000 of our brothers and sisters, most of them women and children,” Erdoğan claimed, repeating a charge which has been refuted by Hamas’ own casualty figures. “We lost them to what we regard as Israel's acts of state terrorism.” 

Erdoğan also repeated another unsubstantiated claim that Gaza has the “world’s highest rate of amputations among children.” 

“Gaza is not only the world's largest graveyard for children, it is also the place with the world's highest rate of amputations among children,” Erdoğan continued, calling Gaza “the most inhumane and shameful concentration camp of our time. We are facing a murderous mentality that can never be satisfied.” 

The Turkish leader also accused Israel of violating the ceasefire negotiated under the oversight of U.S. President Donald Trump, saying that “even after the ceasefire, the number of Gaza residents killed has exceeded 1,500, and although the Palestinian resistance movement agreed to move to the second phase of the peace plan, the Israeli government refuses to end the occupation.” 

President Erdoğan once again used the UN podium to attack Israel and spread lies.

A leader who hosts Hamas leaders, supports terrorist organizations, and occupies Syrian territory has no justification to lecture Israel on morality.

Erdoğan, your hypocrisy will not hide the… pic.twitter.com/6IOaA88enz

— Danny Danon 🇮🇱 דני דנון (@dannydanon) September 22, 2026

Erdoğan did not note that many of those killed were Hamas commanders and terror operatives who took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. Some were also terror operatives who attempted to cross the Yellow Line toward IDF positions.

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, and the ministry has previously admitted that it counts all deaths, regardless of cause, as deaths attributed to Israel. 

Jordan's King Abdullah II also accused Israel of war crimes, particularly of forced population transfer during his UNGA address.

He began criticism of Israel by attacking the IDF's conduct in Gaza since the start of the ceasefire. 

“In Gaza, the evidence is overwhelming,” Abdullah said, claiming that “during the first 300 days of the so-called ceasefire, at least 300 Palestinian children were killed.” 

“President Trump has pushed with all his strength for peace and for a way to end this war,” Abdullah continued. “But this Israeli government continues to move the goalposts, continues its attacks and destruction of civilian infrastructure, refuses to withdraw, and is squeezing the Palestinians into less than one-third of Gaza.” 

King Abdullah did not mention Hamas’ refusal to disarm, a condition that the Trump administration has also said must be met before Israel is required to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.

Turning to Judea and Samaria, Abdullah said Israel was engaging in “forcible transfer” of the Palestinian population and “annexation.” 

“Demolishing Palestinian homes in order to expand illegal settlements is not law enforcement. It is forcible transfer,” the Jordanian king said. “The seizure of occupied land is not land registration. It is de facto annexation.” 

“What is happening in the West Bank is not a series of isolated acts. These are components of a single policy designed to force an entire population off its land,” he claimed. “And there is a name for that: forced displacement. And it is a war crime.” 

It is particularly amusing to hear @KingAbdullahII of Jordan speak so passionately about international law and the rights of Palestinians in Judea and Samaria.

In July 1988, on the orders of his father, King Hussein, Jordan collectively and unilaterally revoked the citizenship…

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) September 23, 2026

Abdullah also repeated a claim frequently made by detractors of Israel, describing the country as “expansionist.” 

“No one in this hall should assume that its ambitions stop at Palestine,” Abdullah charged.

“The expansionist appetite of this Israeli government is now a regional threat, and today Syria is the warning the international community is choosing not to see,” referring to Israel’s seizure of territory in southern Syria as a buffer zone against the encroachment of anti-Israel jihadist militias in the country. 

Newly installed British Prime Minister Andy Burnham joined the criticism of Israel, saying its actions following the Oct. 7 attacks have not been justified. 

“I have condemned October 7 in the strongest possible terms. We continue to condemn Hamas, and we stand with Israel in the face of the ongoing threats, including from Iran, against Israel and Jewish people around the world,” Burnham said in his remarks. “But this does not justify the Israeli government's actions in Gaza or the West Bank," he added. “We will not stand by as the horrific suffering continues to grow and the prospect of a two-state solution, the best hope for peace and stability for both nations, comes under attack.” 

Burnham attempted to justify his government’s decision to impose sanctions and trade restrictions on Israeli goods from Judea and Samaria, saying, “We have acted by banning trade in goods with illegal settlements, recognizing that the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory is unlawful, and sanctioning those taking part in the construction of illegal settlements.” 

Harsh criticism of Israel is not a new phenomenon at the UNGA. Israeli advocacy groups have examined historical voting patterns and condemnations against the Jewish state, arguing that Israel has faced a disproportionate amount of criticism compared to other nations. 

However, since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, the nature and level of the criticism appears to be intensifying. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address the UNGA later this week, where he is expected to offer a forceful defense of Israel.