Macron's UN Speech Claims Hamas Absent from West Bank, Israel Responds

During his final UN General Assembly address as French President, Emmanuel Macron criticized both Israel and former US President Donald Trump, stating the world is witnessing a shameful spectacle. Macron controversially claimed that Hamas has never engaged in terrorist activities in Judea and Samaria. He spoke immediately after Trump, who had declared his administration had ended the war in Gaza and saved countless lives. Macron countered that despite the declared peace, no humanitarian corridors were open in Gaza. He further asserted that Hamas does not operate in the West Bank, attributing daily violations there to unnamed actors and stating that current events prevent the realization of a Palestinian state. Macron concluded by calling for the defense of international law and the UN system, warning against a return to 'the law of the jungle' and a 'new order of impunity.'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office swiftly condemned Macron's statements as "absurd and ridiculous." The office pointed out that just two days prior, on the eve of Yom Kippur, a Hamas terrorist murdered French citizen and father of six, Netanel Shachron, in Judea and Samaria. They emphasized that Hamas terrorists carry out attacks on Israelis almost daily, causing numerous civilian casualties, and that ignorance cannot excuse ignoring the bloodshed. The Prime Minister's office stated that Hamas actively operates and plans attacks from the West Bank against Israelis. The article notes that on Yom Kippur itself, Israeli forces arrested two individuals linked to Hamas in Qabatiya, northern Samaria.