Diplomacy & Geopolitics
Israel rebukes Macron over West Bank UN remarks
Israel rebuked French President Emmanuel Macron after he criticised Israeli actions in the West Bank during a speech to the UN General Assembly.
Macron used his Tuesday address in New York to deplore the humanitarian situation in Gaza and Israeli actions in the West Bank. He said: “Hamas has never struck in the West Bank.”
“The grotesque absurdity of Emmanuel Macron's statement is staggering,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said. It said Hamas attackers had killed Israeli civilians in what Israel calls Judea and Samaria, its term for the West Bank.
Netanyahu's office pointed to the shooting death on Sunday of Israeli settler Netanel Shukrun in the West Bank. Israel said Shukrun, a father of six, also had French citizenship. The Israeli military said it arrested the Palestinian gunman at a hospital and later raided his village.
US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also criticised Macron's UN remarks, writing on X that Hamas was “an evil scourge” and had killed innocent American citizens.
In his speech, Macron urged countries to recommit to international law and the United Nations system instead of what he called a return to the “law of the jungle”. On Gaza, he asked what international credibility was worth if countries remained inactive and said humanitarian deliveries had not opened up.
Macron also said there were daily violations in the West Bank that made it harder to respect what he called the Palestinian people's legitimate right to exist.
The Palestinian Authority, led by Hamas's rivals, has semi-autonomy in major urban areas of the West Bank, while Israel controls most of the territory. Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, two years after Israel withdrew and dismantled settlements there.
Extremist Israeli settlers frequently attack and steal from West Bank Palestinians. The United Nations said there were about six settler-related violent incidents against Palestinians or their property each day through mid-2026 in the territory.
Netanyahu, who has poor relations with Macron, is expected to address the UN General Assembly on Thursday.
Update
Israel rebuked Macron over his statement that Hamas had never struck in the West Bank.
Benjamin Netanyahu's office called Macron's statement a grotesque absurdity.
Netanyahu's office pointed to the Sunday shooting death of Israeli settler Netanel Shukrun, who Israel said also had French citizenship.
US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also denounced Macron's remarks.
Source note: AFP news report published on 23 September 2026 at 04:23:15 UTC.
Update
Macron called for Moscow and Kyiv to agree to a moratorium on strikes against civilian and energy infrastructure.
Macron criticised the humanitarian situation in Gaza and said humanitarian deliveries had not opened despite claims that peace had been achieved.
Macron proposed pooling investment to build and share a cutting-edge open-source AI model.
The speech was described as Macron's last address to the UN's annual diplomatic gathering as president.
Source note: AFP news report published on 22 September 2026 at 19:31:09 UTC.
Update
Macron called for countries to recommit to international law and the UN system.
Macron framed the choice as between a 'state of nature' and a 'civilized international society.'
Source note: AFP news report published on 22 September 2026 at 18:41:11 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
Macron's statement about Hamas in the West Bank is disputed by Israel.
The item does not provide an independent determination of responsibility for all attacks cited by Israel.
Source
AFP news report published on .