Netanyahu criticizes Macron for a serious mistake

Once again, Benjamin Netanyahu has criticized French President Emmanuel Macron after the latter urged Israel to "cease bombing Gaza and stop civilian casualties". Israel's leader branded this as a significant factual and moral mistake.

In an exclusive interview with the BBC from the Élysée Palace, the French President stated on Friday that there wasn't any justification for bombing civilian areas in the Gaza Strip. He expressed his belief that a ceasefire would be beneficial for Israel.

While acknowledging Israel's right to self-defense, he implored the country to cease its air raids on Gaza. Concurrently, he also asserted that France "unequivocally condemns" the terror activities orchestrated by Hamas.

Several hours post-Macron's interview, Benjamin Netanyahu retorted by asserting that Hamas is culpable for the demise of innocent civilians. According to him, Palestinian terrorists are committing crimes against humanity by utilizing women, children, and the elderly as hostages.

Israel's prime minister revisited the comments of the French president on Saturday, claiming them to be a significant factual and moral blunder. According to The Times of Israel, Netanyahu alleged that it was Hamas, not Israel, that was preventing the civilian population from evacuation.

Netanyahu ruled out the possibility of reconstructing settlements in the Gaza Strip, deeming it to be unrealistic, and stated that his decision stemmed from security considerations.

On Thursday, Emmanuel Macron initiated a conference concerning the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Upon delivering his speech, he highlighted the urgent need for a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

"It is essential to ensure civilians' safety in the future. Actions towards a ceasefire must be undertaken," declared Macron. "This should be feasible," he added.

The primary objective of the conference, which was spearheaded by the French president, was to mobilize and provide humanitarian aid to the beleaguered Gaza Strip. The region has been continually bombarded by Israel after Hamas's brutal assault on their country on October 7, restricting humanitarian aid efforts.

Source: The Times of Israel/BBC