Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon was among protesters arrested outside the United Nations headquarters in New York ahead of Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech.

Around 200 demonstrators gathered on Friday (AEST) wearing shirts that stated ‘Fund people not bombs’ and chanting “Netanyahu you can’t hide, you are wanted for genocide”.

Police ordered the protesters who were blocking traffic to get off the roadway or they would be arrested for “disorderly conduct”.

Sarandon was among about 30 people who had their hands zip-tied behind their backs and were led away by police, according to Reuters.

Other high-profile arrests were Emmy-winning actor Hannah Einbinder, Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier and New York City council member ​Chi Osse.

The rally was organised by Jewish Voice for Peace which supports Palestinians.

Police officers on loudspeakers threatened those who resisted arrest with “additional charges”.

Inside the United Nations General Assembly, a mass of delegates walked out in protest when Netanyahu took the podium to speak, with a mix of cheers and boos.

Most of the seats sat empty after they filed out the doors.

“If there are any other moral cowards who have not yet left the hall, please do so now,” a defiant Netanyahu said.

The Palestinian Mission to the UN said in a message to many of the 193 UN member countries to bring as many staff as possible to the assembly hall and “collectively walk out of the assembly” once the Israeli prime minister was announced.

“This will send a clear message to Netanyahu and his government that no one is willing to aid, abet or be complicit in its genocide and war crimes and illegal occupation, which all peace-loving states and peoples demand must come to an end,” the message said.

Israel rejects allegations that it committed genocide and war crimes and is illegally occupying Palestinian territory.

Netanyahu at one point held up a pager while reminding the audience of September 17, 2024, when Israel remotely detonated thousands of pagers that had been distributed to the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.

The pager attack wounded more than 3000 people and killed 12, including two children.

He reminded the assembly of the scale of the October 7, 2023, attack in which Hamas militants killed about 1200 people.

“This is equal to 40,000 innocent Americans slaughtered in less than 24 hours,” he said, or 16 times the death count on the 9/11 attacks that left nearly 3000 people dead in New York.

Netanyahu thanked US President Donald Trump for taking decisive action against Iran, and he insisted Israel would prevail: “We will continue to win because we have no other choice”.

-with AAP