Israel Slams French President Macron Over Hamas Claims

Israel's Prime Minister's Office issued a sharp rebuke to French President Emmanuel Macron following his statements suggesting Hamas is not active in the West Bank. The office highlighted the recent murder of Natanel Shkaron, a French-Israeli father of six, who was killed in a shooting attack in the Benjamin region on the eve of Yom Kippur. "The grotesque absurdity in Macron's words is astonishing," the statement read, emphasizing that Shkaron, a French citizen, was murdered by a Hamas terrorist. The Prime Minister's Office accused Hamas of continuing to incite attacks against Israelis in the West Bank and stated that ignorance is no excuse for ignoring the bloodshed.

Macron's remarks, made during a speech at the UN, differentiated between Hamas's activities in Gaza and its presence in the West Bank, claiming the organization was not active there. This assertion drew strong criticism from Jerusalem, which pointed to ongoing attacks by Hamas operatives in the area and Shkaron's murder as evidence to the contrary. The Prime Minister's Office stated, "Hamas terrorists carry out attacks against Jews almost daily. They have murdered countless Israeli civilians in Judea and Samaria. Ignorance is no excuse for erasing their blood."

The response comes amid ongoing tensions between Jerusalem and Paris regarding France's policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the West Bank. France, along with the UK and Canada, recently announced measures aimed at preserving the possibility of a two-state solution, criticizing settlement expansion and settler violence while reaffirming their commitment to Israel's security.

Natanel Shkaron was killed near the settlement of Neve Tzuf when an armed assailant opened fire as he and his son approached a spring. Shkaron was critically wounded and later died at the hospital. Initial investigation suggested the attacker was a 37-year-old Hamas operative from the Birzeit area who acted alone. He was apprehended by Israeli forces after being wounded by a guard and fleeing to a hospital in Ramallah. Hamas praised the attack, calling for expanded "resistance" actions in the West Bank and Jerusalem.