Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly criticized French President Emmanuel Macron after Macron commented on violations in the occupied West Bank during his UN address, calling Hamas's presence there "grotesque." Netanyahu responded by stating that Hamas terrorists attack Jews daily in the region. A diplomatic source clarified that Macron’s statement was misinterpreted; he meant to say Hamas has never governed the West Bank. The incident follows the murder of a French citizen, Netanel Shukrun, by a Palestinian gunman near a West Bank settlement two days prior to Yom Kippur.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-23,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In his final speech at the United Nations General Assembly on September 22, Emmanuel Macron, criticized Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan, describing it as a spectacle that should shame everyone. Macron pointed out that no humanitarian corridors had reopened in Gaza despite the proclaimed peace. He also rebuked increased settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank and claimed Hamas had never operated there. This statement was met with strong opposition from Israel, particularly Benjamin Netanyahu who called it a "grotesque absurdity," citing recent attacks on Israeli civilians attributed to Hamas in the West Bank. The French government later clarified that Macron’s intent was to say Hamas has never governed the West Bank, not that they have never been active there, leading to a diplomatic dispute over his comments' translation and interpretation.
Written for “Macron UN Speech Controversy Gaza Wes…” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 7 other(s) covering the same event.
- Published
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned French President Emmanuel Macron after he criticised Israel's actions in the occupied West Bank during his address to the UN General Assembly.
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he → publish → Assembly
"Look at what's happening in the West Bank, where day in, day out, we are seeing violations.
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we → look → violations
Hamas was never very active in the West Bank," Macron said in French, according to the UN's interpreter.
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Macron → say → interpreter
Netanyahu called the remarks a "grotesque absurdity" and said members of the Palestinian armed group there "carry out attacks against Jews almost every day".
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members → call → Jews
There was no response from Macron's office, but one French diplomatic source said there had been a "misinterpretation".
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source → be → office
The source told the Jerusalem Post, external that the meaning of the French sentence spoken by the president, "Le Hamas n'a jamais sévi en Cisjordanie," was, "Hamas has never governed the West Bank."
Macron also rejected US President Donald Trump's assertion that he had ended the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
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he → tell → Strip
Violence there has continued despite last October's ceasefire, including almost daily Israeli strikes, while humanitarian conditions remain dire
"
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conditions → continue → strikes
Some boast of a supposed peace.
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Some → boast → peace
But that peace has not reopened humanitarian access for a single second," he said.
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he → reopen → second
"Are we simply to stand by and watch this spectacle that should shame us all?"
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that → stand → us
After the address, the Israeli prime minister's office said in a statement: "The grotesque absurdity of Emmanuel Macron's statement is staggering."
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absurdity → say → statement
"On Sunday, the eve of [the Jewish holy day of] Yom Kippur, just two days ago, Netanel Shukrun - a French citizen and father of six - was murdered in his car by a Hamas terrorist in Judea and Samaria," it added, using a biblical term for the West Bank.
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it → murder → Bank
"Hamas terrorists carry out attacks against Jews almost every day.
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terrorists → carry → Jews
They have murdered countless Israeli civilians in Judea and Samaria."
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They → murder → Judea
The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, also denounced Macron's remarks as "out of touch with reality".
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ambassador → denounce → reality
Shukrun, 36, was shot dead when a Palestinian opened fire on a group of Israelis at a spring near the West Bank settlement of Neve Tzuf, according to Israeli police.
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Palestinian → shoot → police
The suspect was arrested later at a hospital in the city of Ramallah, they said.
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they → arrest → Ramallah
Hamas praised the attack but did not say it was behind it.
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it → praise → it
The group - which is designated as a terrorist organisation by Israel, France and other countries - is a rival of the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank that are not under Israeli control.
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that → designate → control
Israel has built about 160 settlements housing 700,000 Jews since it occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem - land Palestinians want, along with Gaza, for a hoped-for future state - during the 1967 Middle East war.
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Palestinians → build → war
An estimated 3.3 million Palestinians live alongside them.
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Palestinians → estimate → them
The Aporia
