Netanyahu accuses UK France and Canada of emboldening Hamas after Gaza criticism
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused the leaders of the UK, France, and Canada of "emboldening Hamas" after they condemned Israel’s military operations in Gaza and called for an end to restrictions on humanitarian aid.
In a video message posted on X on Thursday, Netanyahu referenced the fatal shooting on Wednesday of two Israeli embassy staff in Washington, describing the incident as "the terrible price of antisemitism" and blaming it on "rampant incitement against the State of Israel".
His remarks were in response to a joint statement issued earlier in the week by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
The three leaders described Israel’s conduct in Gaza as "egregious" and warned of "concrete actions" if the offensive continued unchecked.
"I say to President Macron, Prime Minister Carney, and Prime Minister Starmer: when mass murderers, rapists, baby killers, and kidnappers thank you, you’re on the wrong side of justice," Netanyahu said, accusing the trio of encouraging Hamas to continue fighting.
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On Tuesday, Hamas publicly welcomed the joint statement, calling it a "principled stance" against the "policy of siege and starvation pursued by the fascist occupation government against our people in the Gaza Strip".
Netanyahu’s comments come amid a surge of international criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza and renewed calls from allies for an immediate ceasefire.
UK officials also condemned the Washington embassy attack. Starmer called it "antisemitic" and expressed solidarity with the victims’ families and the Jewish community.
Earlier in the week, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced the suspension of negotiations over a new UK-Israel free trade agreement.
Lammy cited inflammatory remarks by senior Israeli officials, including calls to "purify Gaza" as "repellent, monstrous, and extremist", marking a sharp shift in UK-Israel relations.
The UK has also imposed sanctions on several Israeli settlers accused of violent attacks in the occupied West Bank.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4 on Friday, UK Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard defended Britain’s stance. "We stand by Israel’s right to defend itself,” Pollard said, “but that must be within the bounds of international humanitarian law."
"The best path to safety for both Palestinians and Israelis is a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the unhindered delivery of aid," he added.
On 18 March, Israel resumed large-scale air strikes across the Gaza Strip, effectively ending a ceasefire that had been in place since 19 January. Since then more than 3,500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza.
The Israeli government cited Hamas’s failure to release hostages as the reason for resuming military operations.
The renewed blockade has severely restricted humanitarian aid.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification warned that over half of Gaza’s population, approximately 1.1 million people, is facing catastrophic levels of hunger, with famine already occurring in parts of the territory.
According to the Palestinian health ministry, as of Thursday, at least 29 children and elderly people have died from starvation, while thousands more are at risk due to malnutrition and lack of access to medical care.
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