ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraq’s foreign minister on Friday condemned remarks made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) where he threatened to attack leaders of Iraqi armed groups if they oppose Israel.

During his speech at the UN’s highest-profile annual event, Netanyahu listed the countries and groups Israel has targeted over the past year as part of its campaign against the so-called Axis of Resistance.

“We deterred Iran’s Shiite militias in Iraq,” said Netanyahu while citing a broader list of actions Israel has taken against Iran’s nuclear program, Hamas in Gaza, Yemen’s Houthis, Lebanese Hezbollah, and Assad armaments in Syria.

“Half the Houthi leadership in Yemen: Gone. Yahya Sinwar in Gaza: Gone. Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon: Gone. The Assad regime in Syria: Gone. Those militias in Iraq? Well, they’re still deterred, and their leaders, if they attack Israel, will also be gone,” Netanyahu added, while holding up a placard labelled “The Curse” that highlighted locations of alleged Iranian proxies on a map.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein was asked about Iraq’s position on Netanyahu’s remarks during a presser in New York on the sidelines of UNGA.

“The statements are rejected and unacceptable. An attack on any Iraqi is an attack on Iraq itself,” Hussein told reporters.

As soon as Netanyahu took to the stage to deliver his address on Friday, dozens of delegations walked out of the hall in a symbolic protest against the Israeli government’s atrocities in Gaza.

A total of 10 countries, including France, the UK, and Canada, formally recognized the State of Palestine during the 80^th UNGA, amidst Israel’s ongoing violent military campaign in the West Bank and Gaza.

Iraq's foreign ministry on Monday welcomed the countries’ announcement of their recognition of Palestinian statehood, calling the measure “a fundamental step towards achieving international justice,” while reiterating Iraq’s commitment to supporting the Palestinian people.

Israel’s genocide in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of over 65,000 Palestinians and the wounding of more than 165,000, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Vast areas of Gaza have been razed to the ground, displacing the majority of the territory's 2 million inhabitants.