Netanyahu leaves New York right after UN speech

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left New York within hours of addressing the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. He arrived in New York on Thursday and, after delivering his speech at the UN, headed straight for Israel the same day. US media outlet CBS News also reported that he was scheduled to leave New York a few hours after his speech.

After the speech, Netanyahu held meetings with the leaders of Paraguay, Panama and Bolivia. At these meetings, he called for deepening Israel's relations through the 'Isaac Accords'.

Reports in Israeli media said Netanyahu's New York visit may have been shortened for security reasons. However, Israeli authorities did not give a detailed reason for his swift return.

Meanwhile, large protests took place in New York centring Netanyahu's visit. Protesters blocked roads around the UN headquarters and held programmes. In a CBS New York report, citing police sources, it was said that about 100 people were taken into custody. Al Jazeera later reported that, according to New York police estimates, 103 people were arrested. All of them were later released.

Earlier, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani had said during his election campaign that Netanyahu would be arrested if he came to the city. Mamdani later admitted that New York City authorities do not have the legal power to arrest Netanyahu unilaterally. However, he called for respecting the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

During Netanyahu's speech at the UN on Thursday, many representatives of various countries walked out of the assembly hall before his remarks. On the other hand, some representatives stood and applauded in his support. Outside the speech, there were also counter-protests on the streets of New York centring his visit.