Tensions escalated between Israel and France on Friday after French President Emmanuel Macron urged European countries to take a tougher stance on Israel over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry responded with sharp criticism, accusing Macron of launching a “crusade against the Jewish state.” The ministry rejected Macron’s claims of a humanitarian blockade in Gaza, labeling them a “blatant lie.”
“There is no humanitarian blockade. That is a blatant lie,” the ministry stated. “Instead of applying pressure on the jihadist terrorists, Macron wants to reward them with a Palestinian state. No doubt its national day will be October 7,” the statement added, referencing the 2023 Hamas attack that ignited the ongoing conflict.
President Macron, speaking at a defence forum in Singapore, stressed that European nations must “harden the collective position” against Israel if aid access and humanitarian conditions in Gaza do not improve. He even suggested that sanctions should remain an option.
“If we abandon Gaza… we will kill our credibility,” Macron warned. He also said the recognition of a Palestinian state is “not only a moral duty, but a political necessity.”
France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting an international conference at the United Nations in New York, aimed at reviving the push for a two-state solution — an outcome that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government strongly opposes.
Israel emphasized in its response that Hamas welcomed Macron’s remarks, claiming the militant group “knows why.”
