Macron’s stance ‘a disgrace’ – Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lashed out at French President Emmanuel Macron for his call to end weapons deliveries to the Jewish state amid the ongoing escalation with Hezbollah and Iran.

In an interview with French media aired on Saturday, Macron called for “a political solution” to the conflict in the Middle East and argued that Western nations should “stop delivering arms for fighting in Gaza.” He called the continued hostilities “a mistake” and warned against turning Lebanon into “a new Gaza.”

Netanyahu responded with a fiery statement on X (formerly Twitter), in which he addressed Macron directly. Israel is fighting “on seven fronts against the enemies of civilization,” he argued, referring to the conflicts with Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, as well as Iran and its allies in Syria and Iraq. “All civilized countries should be standing firmly by Israel’s side.”

“Yet President Macron and other Western leaders are now calling for arms embargoes against Israel. Shame on them,” Netanyahu continued, calling the move a “disgrace” and vowing that Israel “would win with or without their support.”

“But their shame will continue long after the war is won,” he said.

Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, which will enter its second year on Monday, has claimed more than 41,000 Palestinian lives. The fighting was triggered by a surprise Hamas raid on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,100 Israelis and resulted in around 250 hostages being taken.

In recent weeks, Israel intensified its bombing campaign in Lebanon and began cross-border ground raids targeting Hezbollah sites. The pro-Palestinian group has been firing rockets into Israel in support of Hamas since October 2023. Israeli officials argued that the operation was necessary for the safe return of 70,000 residents who fled northern Israel during Hezbollah attacks.

While the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that 440 Hezbollah fighters have been killed, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported that over 2,000 people have lost their lives from Israeli strikes and more than 1.2 million have been displaced.