Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denounced French President Emmanuel Macron's remarks during his UN General Assembly speech, calling them a 'grotesque absurdity'. Macron criticized Israel's actions in the occupied West Bank, stating that Hamas has never struck there. Netanyahu's office accused Macron of misinterpreting the French president's comments, which were translated as 'Hamas has never governed the West Bank'.

Macron's speech also addressed the ongoing violence in Gaza, where the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel led to significant casualties. He criticized the lack of humanitarian access and called for renewed international commitment to the UN system. Netanyahu's office responded by highlighting the recent killing of French citizen Netanel Shukrun, a father of six, by a Hamas terrorist in the West Bank. The Israeli government has called for the execution of the suspect under a new law.

French diplomatic sources have suggested that Macron's remarks were misinterpreted, with one source stating that the French sentence 'Le Hamas n'a jamais sévi en Cisjordanie' was intended to mean 'Hamas has never governed the West Bank'. Macron's office has not issued a formal response, though the French president has previously criticized US President Donald Trump's claim that he ended the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Violence in the region continues, with daily Israeli strikes and dire humanitarian conditions.

The Israeli government has long maintained that its settlements in the West Bank are legal, despite international law designating them as illegal. The settlements, housing approximately 700,000 Jews, are built on land Palestinians seek for a future state. An estimated 3.3 million Palestinians live alongside them. The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank not under Israeli control, is a rival of Hamas, which controls Gaza and is designated a terrorist organization by Israel, France, and other countries.

Hamas praised the attack on Shukrun but did not claim responsibility. The group, which is a rival of the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority, has been accused of carrying out attacks against Israelis in the West Bank. The Israeli military arrested the suspect at a hospital in Ramallah and later raided his village. The incident has sparked further tensions between Israel and France, with the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, also criticizing Macron's remarks as 'out of touch with reality'.

The situation remains complex, with no clear resolution in sight. The international community continues to debate the legality of Israeli settlements and the role of Hamas in the region. While Macron's comments have drawn strong criticism from Israel, the French president's office has not issued a formal response, leaving the matter unresolved. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the ongoing violence in the West Bank continue to dominate the discourse, with no immediate signs of de-escalation.