Israel showed an angry reaction to Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly. In this speech, Macron condemned the situation in the West Bank and criticized the humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.
Benjamin Netanyahu's Reaction to Macron's Statements
Benjamin Netanyahu's office described Macron's remarks as "absurd nonsense" and "shocking." This reaction was particularly related to part of Macron's speech where he stated that the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas has "never" operated in the West Bank. Netanyahu's office stated in a press release: "Hamas terrorists carry out attacks against Jews almost every day and have killed countless Israeli civilians in Judea and Samaria."
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Details of Recent Attacks and Security Situation
Netanyahu's office also referred to the most recent deadly attack on a Jewish settlement in the West Bank that occurred before Yom Kippur, the most important Jewish holiday. The victim of this attack was a father of six children and held both Israeli and French citizenship. The Israeli army announced that the perpetrator of this attack, an armed Palestinian, has been detained in a hospital. Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's far-right National Security Minister, has called for the death penalty for the attacker.
In his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Macron expanded his criticisms to the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, stating that Hamas and its allies attacked cities and villages in Israel from Gaza on October 7, 2023.
Macron also criticized Israel's actions in the West Bank, stating that "violations" occur every day in this area. He emphasized that Hamas has "never" attacked in the West Bank, while this area is under the control of the Palestinian Authority.
History and Current Situation of the West Bank
The Palestinian Authority manages the West Bank, which is under Israeli occupation, but has limited powers. The terrorist group Hamas took full control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, ousting the Fatah party by force. Israel completely withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and evacuated its existing settlements. However, since the Six-Day War in 1967, the West Bank has remained under Israeli occupation.
About three million Palestinians and over 500,000 Israeli settlers live in this area. These settlements are considered illegal under international law, and violence in the West Bank has significantly increased, especially after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. In this attack, 1,221 people were killed, and 251 were taken hostage and transferred to the Gaza Strip. In response, Israel launched a large-scale operation in the Gaza Strip, which, according to the Health Ministry controlled by Hamas, has resulted in over 73,000 deaths.
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