New York (HRNW)- French President Emmanuel Macron has criticized the humanitarian situation in Gaza during his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly, saying claims of peace had not resulted in the restoration of humanitarian access. He described the situation as a “source of shame for us all.”
Macron also condemned violence and settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, warning that such developments undermine Palestinian rights and raise concerns for regional security.
His remarks drew an immediate response from Israeli officials. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office rejected Macron’s comments concerning Hamas’s presence in the West Bank and described them as “grotesque absurdity,” while arguing that Hamas has carried out attacks against Israeli civilians in the area.
Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon also challenged Macron’s remarks and called on the French president to reconsider his characterization of Hamas’s activity in the West Bank.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich separately accused Macron of lying and said he would continue supporting the expansion and strengthening of Israeli settlements.
The dispute followed Macron’s broader call at the General Assembly for greater international action over Gaza’s humanitarian situation and for efforts to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution. France has also joined the UK and Canada in backing measures aimed at opposing further settlement expansion in the West Bank.
The French Foreign Ministry later clarified that Macron’s remarks about Hamas were intended to convey that Hamas does not govern the West Bank, rather than to deny the group’s presence or past attacks there.
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