Netanyahu decries Macron’s ‘grotesque’ claim that Hamas ‘never operated’ in West Bank

Jerusalem - Israel sharply rebuked French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday for his comments on the West Bank during a speech at the United Nations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office dismissed Macron's remark as "grotesque absurdity," insisting that Hamas is actively operating in the territory, which is home to the Palestinian Authority. The statement highlighted that Hamas terrorists frequently target Jews in the West Bank, where numerous Israeli civilians have been killed.

Netanyahu's office cited a recent shooting incident, where an Israeli settler named Netanel Shukrun, who was also a French citizen, was killed by a Palestinian gunman on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The military arrested the gunman at a hospital, and troops raided his village. Netanyahu's government called for the gunman's execution under a new law.

The United Nations reported approximately six settler-related violent incidents against Palestinians or their property daily in the West Bank through mid-2023. Macron's speech at the UN criticized the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which was the site of the deadliest attack on Israel in its history, carried out by Hamas on October 7, 2023. He also criticized Israel's actions in the West Bank, claiming that the violations are happening every day.

Macron questioned the credibility of remaining inactive regarding Gaza, arguing that peace has not led to improved humanitarian aid. He expressed shame at the spectacle unfolding in the West Bank, questioning the legitimacy of the Palestinian people's right to exist. The Palestinian Authority, led by Hamas's rivals, has semi-autonomous control over major urban areas of the West Bank, while Israel maintains control over most of the territory.

This tension between Israel and France is not new, with Macron previously leading a push by Western nations to recognize a Palestinian state at last year's UN General Assembly. Recent sanctions imposed by France on Israeli settlements in the West Bank further aggravated Israel's response.