Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York
He says recognition of a Palestinian state is "sheer madness, it's insane and we won't do it", adding that recognition by several other countries is "disgraceful"
As Netanyahu takes to the stage, dozens of people file out of the room in New York in protest, as some applaud
Netanyahu says loudspeakers in Israel are broadcasting the speech into Gaza
Directly addressing the hostages being held by Hamas, he says: "We have not forgotten you - not even for a second. The people of Israel are with you"
His speech comes as Donald Trump says he will not allow Israel to annex the Israeli-occupied West Bank - he's due to meet Netanyahu on Monday
Israel is facing increasing global pressure to end the conflict and occupation of the West Bank
Speaking to the UN on Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his rejection of a future governing role for Hamas in Gaza and demanded it disarm
'Order in the hall': Dozens walk out as Netanyahu begins speech at UN
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now speaking at the 80th UN General Assembly.
It has started with many people booing and walking out of the hall - although there is also applause and cheering.
We'll bring you the key lines here, and you can watch it live - press play at the top of the page.
Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem
When he addresses world leaders in a few minutes, the Israeli PM’s talent for oratory looks set to be put to the test. Expect him to come out in his typical pugilistic style defending Israel’s actions in Gaza and the wider region.
But in the face of growing international isolation, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth expects that he will be “targeting his speech to his electoral base.”
Local media say he will give an impassioned Zionist address, slamming France’s President Macron and other allies who have recognised Palestinian statehood this week. He will repeat his view that these announcements reward terrorism and Hamas.
But as Netanyahu relies increasingly on President Trump, it is thought he will show openness to his efforts to end the war and post-war proposals after Israel’s conditions are met.
Already, reports say that the PM has been briefed on the White House’s 21-point plan in meetings with the US Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. It is said that a key minister and Netanyahu aide, Ron Dermer has helped shape the plan.
Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem
Image source, Mario Tama/Getty ImagesMemorably back in 2012, Netanyahu brought out a diagram of a bomb and used a marker to show where a red line should be drawn to stop Iran’s nuclear programme.
Israel has always had its enemies, and in the past, that has roused the country’s veteran leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, when speaking at the UN General Assembly. But now many see his country as an international pariah.
Long-time allies who rallied around Israel in the aftermath of the shocking 7 October attacks in 2023, have joined condemnation of its brutal war in Gaza.
This week, ten countries including the UK, France, Canada, and Australia recognised Palestinian statehood over Israeli objections, arguing this was to keep alive the two-state solution to the decades-old conflict in the region.
The EU is considering tariffs and sanctions on Israel. Germany has halted some arms exports. Even in the US, polls suggest that public views of Israel have recently turned more negative.
Reports say that the UN is gearing up for possible protests during Netanyahu’s speech. Israel’s delegation suggests that the Palestinians and other Arab representatives may try interrupting him. The Israeli PM has invited Jewish leaders and supporters to cheer him on and respond.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe war in Gaza has been going on for nearly two years.
Israeli forces are nearing the centre of Gaza City, which Israel describes as the "last stronghold of Hamas".
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) estimated last week that up to 3,000 Hamas fighters were in the city.
Meanwhile the BBC has spoken to a Hamas figure who claims the militant group is willing to call thousands of fighters into the city, raising the fear of intense fighting in dense urban areas where thousands of civilians remain.
On Wednesday, local hospitals reported that more than 80 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire.
The Israeli military said it struck two Hamas fighters and that the number of casualties did not align with its own information.
And, over the past day, the IDF says it has struck over 140 Hamas targets throughout the Strip.
In its latest update yesterday, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says 83 people have been killed and 216 injured in the last 24 hours across the Strip. This brings the total number killed since 7 October 2023 to 65,502, it says.
As a reminder, International journalists have been banned by Israel from entering the Gaza Strip independently since the start of the war nearly two years ago, making verifying claims from both sides difficult.
Netanyahu's office has just announced that, as part of an "informational effort", loudspeakers will be placed on trucks on the Israeli side of the border with Gaza.
This is to broadcast Netanyahu's UN speech to those in the territory, it said.
Watch: 'I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank,' says Trump
As Israel faces increasing global pressure to end the conflict in Gaza and its occupation of the West Bank, some in Netanyahu's administration have called for Israel to take control of the West Bank outright.
But speaking to reporters last night, Donald Trump said he "will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank".
The UK and Germany say they have also warned Israel against annexation, while UN Secretary General António Guterres has called such a move "morally, legally and politically intolerable".
The West Bank - land between Israel and the River Jordan - is controlled overwhelmingly by Israel, but since the 1990s, a Palestinian government known as the Palestinian Authority has run most of its towns and cities.
The Israeli government announced plans to expand settlements in the region after coming to power in 2022. It does not recognise the right of the Palestinians to have their own state and argues that the West Bank is part of the Israeli homeland.
There are about 160 Israeli settlements, housing about 700,000 Jews, in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Palestinians - of which around three million are estimated to live in the West Bank - want all Israeli settlements to be removed and they are considered illegal under international law.
Adam Goldsmith
Live reporter
Image source, Getty Images/BloombergIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address the United Nations General Assembly shortly, as Israel faces increasing pressure to end the conflict in Gaza.
Speaking at 14:00 BST (09:00 local time in New York), Netanyahu is expected to "denounce" leaders including France's Emmanuel Macron, who have taken the opportunity to recognise a Palestinian state in front of the UN this week.
Opening the 80th General Assembly, the UN's secretary general told delegates that international law is being "trampled" in Gaza, and repeated calls for a "two-state solution" in the region.
Donald Trump told delegates that a ceasefire is needed in Gaza, but refused to condemn Israel's actions. His administration also refused visa admittance to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas who appeared via video link.
As we build up to Netanyahu's speech - which you'll be able to watch live here - we'll have insight and analysis of this week's UN talks, and we'll also bring you up to speed with the situation on the ground in Gaza.