Netanyahu Blasts Macron for “Standing with Hamas,” Escalating Diplomatic Rift Over Gaza War

By: Fern Sidman

In a fierce and unusually direct rebuke, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday, accusing him of siding with Hamas and echoing “blood libels” against Israel. As reported by VIN News, the diplomatic clash marks a significant deterioration in Franco-Israeli relations amid the intensifying war in Gaza.

The sharp response from Jerusalem followed a televised interview in which Macron harshly criticized Israel’s ongoing military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, describing the humanitarian situation as “unacceptable” and placing direct blame on Netanyahu’s government. “What the government of Benjamin Netanyahu is doing is unacceptable… There is no water, no medicine, the wounded cannot get out, the doctors cannot get in. What he is doing is shameful,” Macron told French broadcaster TF1.

Netanyahu’s office fired back with a blistering statement reported by VIN News, accusing Macron of aligning with a terrorist organization and spreading anti-Israel falsehoods. “Macron has once again chosen to stand with a murderous Islamist terrorist organization and echo its despicable propaganda, accusing Israel of blood libels,” the statement read. “Israel is engaged in a multi-front war for its very existence following the horrific massacre committed by Hamas against innocent people on October 7, including the murder and kidnapping of dozens of French nationals.”

The Israeli statement emphasized that Macron, instead of backing a fellow Western democracy under siege by radical Islamists, is “once again demanding that Israel surrender and reward terrorism.” The prime minister’s office reiterated that Israel “will not stop and will not surrender” in its fight to defeat Hamas. Netanyahu remains committed, according to the information provided in the VIN News report, to the war’s objectives: dismantling Hamas’s military and governing infrastructure, securing the release of all hostages, and ensuring that Gaza can never again threaten Israel’s safety.

Tensions have been simmering between Paris and Jerusalem since the beginning of the current war, but Macron’s latest remarks may have crossed a new diplomatic threshold. The French president not only condemned Israeli military actions, but also raised the possibility of revisiting European Union cooperation agreements with Israel—a move that could have broad political and economic implications.

“I got angry,” Macron admitted in the TF1 interview, saying he had “tough words” with Netanyahu and accused Israel of blocking humanitarian aid. “All the aid that France and other countries deliver is blocked by the Israelis,” Macron said, referencing his visit to the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza. The report at VIN News noted that while Macron stopped short of labeling the crisis a genocide—saying that was “for historians to decide”—he declared it “the most serious humanitarian crisis” since the October 7 Hamas onslaught.

Israel has rejected Macron’s claims about the aid blockade, arguing that Hamas is deliberately obstructing humanitarian efforts and manipulating the situation for propaganda purposes. Israeli officials have also stressed that they are working in coordination with Egypt and international organizations to increase aid flow while maintaining necessary security protocols to prevent weapons smuggling.

Macron’s comments, as cited in the VIN News report, also reflected a strategic calculation about U.S. influence over Israel. “We need the United States. President (Donald) Trump has the levers,” Macron said, adding that Israel depends on American military assistance rather than European support.

Macron’s warning of potential diplomatic consequences was not lost on observers. “My job is to do everything I can to make it stop,” he said, referencing the ongoing war. “There will be consequences if this continues.” He also hinted at leveraging France’s position in the EU to influence Israeli policy more forcefully.

The unusually hostile exchange between two heads of state—especially given France’s historical ties to Israel—has alarmed many in the Jewish community and among Israel’s allies. As the VIN News report emphasized, the rift raises broader concerns about Europe’s shifting stance toward the conflict, and whether some Western leaders may be caving to public pressure at the expense of moral clarity in the fight against terrorism.

At a time when Israel is waging what it views as an existential war, Netanyahu’s message to Macron—and to the world—is unequivocal: “Israel will continue to fight until its objectives are achieved. We will never apologize for defending ourselves.”