Netanyahu condemns Macron's UN remarks on the West Bank as 'grotesque absurdity'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sharply criticised French President Emmanuel Macron after comments made during a speech to the United Nations General Assembly about Israel's actions in the occupied West Bank. The dispute centres on Macron's remarks in French, in which he said there were daily violations in the West Bank and questioned the role of Hamas there. Netanyahu responded by calling the comments a "grotesque absurdity".

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A French diplomatic source said Macron's words had been misinterpreted. The source said the intended meaning of the French phrase was that Hamas had never governed the West Bank, rather than that the group had never been active there. There was no immediate response from Macron's office.

The exchange came after Macron also rejected the claim that the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza had ended. Netanyahu's office said in a statement that Hamas members carry out attacks against Jews almost every day in the West Bank, which Israel also refers to as Judea and Samaria. The statement referred to the killing of Netanel Shukrun, a 36-year-old French citizen and father of six, who was shot dead on Sunday near the settlement of Neve Tzuf.

Israeli police said a Palestinian opened fire on a group of Israelis at a spring near the settlement and that the suspect was later arrested at a hospital in Ramallah. Hamas praised the attack but did not claim responsibility. The row highlights the continuing diplomatic sensitivity around the West Bank, Gaza and the wider Israel-Palestine conflict.

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Macron's remarks were made against the backdrop of ongoing violence in Gaza, where Israeli strikes have continued despite last October's ceasefire, according to the supplied report. He also said humanitarian access had not reopened, underscoring the scale of the crisis and the political pressure on governments speaking about the war at the UN. The exchange also reflects the broader strain between Israel and some European governments over how to describe events in the occupied territories.

The UN General Assembly speech gave Macron a global platform, but the reaction from Netanyahu and the French diplomatic source shows how quickly wording on the conflict can become a diplomatic dispute. The involvement of the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who also criticised Macron's remarks, added to the public backlash. What remains unclear is whether the French presidency will issue a direct clarification or whether the dispute will continue beyond the immediate exchange.

It is also not clear whether the row will affect wider diplomatic contacts between Israel and France in the coming days. The situation will be watched for any further statements from Paris, Jerusalem and Washington, as well as for developments in the West Bank and Gaza that could intensify the political fallout.

#BenjaminNetanyahu #EmmanuelMacron #WestBank #UnitedNationsGeneralAssembly #IsraelPalestine

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