Israel Slams Macron Over Hamas Claims, Cites French Citizen's Murder

Israel's Prime Minister's Office issued a sharp rebuke to French President Emmanuel Macron following his statements regarding Hamas's presence in the West Bank. The office highlighted the recent murder of Natanel Shkaron, a French citizen and father of six, who was killed in a shooting attack in the Benjamin region on the eve of Yom Kippur. "Grotesque absurdity in Macron's words is astonishing," the statement declared, emphasizing that Hamas continues to incite attacks against Israelis in the West Bank. The Prime Minister's Office stated that ignorance is no excuse for ignoring the bloodshed, pointing out that Hamas operatives carry out attacks against Jews almost daily.

Macron had claimed at the UN that Hamas was not active in the West Bank and that there was no justification for linking the terror group to the Palestinian population there. He sought to differentiate between Hamas's activities in Gaza and those in the Palestinian Authority areas. This assertion drew a strong reaction from Jerusalem, which cited the ongoing attacks by Hamas operatives in the region and Shkaron's murder as evidence of the group's activity in the West Bank.

The Israeli response comes amid ongoing tensions between Jerusalem and Paris concerning French 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 Neve Tzuf when an armed assailant opened fire as he and his son visited a spring. Shkaron was critically wounded and later died. Initial investigation findings indicated the attacker was a 37-year-old Hamas operative from the Birzeit area who may have acted alone. He was apprehended by Israeli forces after being wounded by a guard's fire and fleeing to a hospital in Ramallah. Hamas praised the attack, calling for expanded "resistance" actions in the West Bank and Jerusalem.