Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected calls from Western leaders to halt military operations in Gaza, accusing them of rewarding terrorism and insisting Israel will not back down in its war against Hamas.
In a strongly worded response to a joint statement by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Netanyahu said Israel will continue fighting until Hamas is defeated.
The three leaders had warned of “concrete actions” if Israel fails to cease its renewed offensive and does not lift restrictions on humanitarian aid into Gaza.
“We have always supported Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism,” the leaders said. “But this escalation is wholly disproportionate.”
They reiterated their call for the release of hostages taken during Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack and expressed concern over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Netanyahu, in response, accused the leaders of granting Hamas a “huge prize” by pressuring Israel to stop its military campaign.
“By asking Israel to end a defensive war for our survival before Hamas terrorists on our border are destroyed—and by demanding a Palestinian state—the leaders in London, Ottawa and Paris are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7,” Netanyahu said.
He added: “The war can end tomorrow if the remaining hostages are released, Hamas lays down its arms, its murderous leaders are exiled, and Gaza is demilitarised. No nation can be expected to accept anything less—and Israel certainly won’t.”
Calling the conflict “a war of civilisation over barbarism,” Netanyahu insisted Israel would press on “by just means until total victory is achieved.”
Meanwhile, the UN’s humanitarian relief chief, Tom Fletcher, described the situation in Gaza as dire. While nine aid trucks were reportedly cleared to enter after partial easing of Israel’s blockade, Fletcher noted the scale of aid allowed in was “a drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed.”
He warned that ongoing bombardments, widespread hunger, and instability on the ground continued to pose major challenges to effective humanitarian delivery.
