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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has launched a scathing attack on the leaders of Britain, France, and Canada, accusing them of effectively supporting Hamas and undermining Israel’s right to self-defence in its ongoing war in Gaza.
In a strongly worded video message released Thursday, Netanyahu directly addressed UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, claiming their recent criticisms of Israel’s military actions amounted to siding with “mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers.”
His comments come in the wake of international condemnation over Israel’s recent military expansion in Gaza, which Britain, France, and Canada jointly denounced earlier this week as “disproportionate,” citing the worsening humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave.
“You’re on the wrong side of justice. You’re on the wrong side of humanity. You’re on the wrong side of history,” Netanyahu declared, arguing that Hamas seeks the annihilation of the Jewish people and that its endorsement of the trio’s stance should raise alarm.
The backlash from Israel follows a statement issued by the three Western allies that condemned the situation in Gaza as “intolerable” and warned Israel of potential consequences if aid flow into the region was not significantly increased.
UK Prime Minister Starmer had earlier described Israel’s aid efforts as “utterly inadequate” and said he was “horrified” by the humanitarian toll.
Tensions have been further inflamed by an attack on Israeli embassy staff in Washington this week, which Israel attributed to anti-Israel incitement. While all three governments swiftly condemned the shooting, Netanyahu suggested their broader criticisms were fuelling anti-Israel violence.
In his post responding to the Washington incident, Starmer called antisemitism “an evil we must stamp out,” but has not responded directly to Netanyahu’s latest remarks. Downing Street pointed to the prime minister’s earlier condemnation of the embassy attack when asked for comment.
Adding to the domestic criticism within Israel, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert slammed Netanyahu’s administration during an interview on the BBC World Service, labelling the current leadership “a gang of thugs.”
“These are atrocious policies,” Olmert said, referring to the conduct of the Gaza offensive. “The head of the gang is Netanyahu.”
The war in Gaza began following Hamas’s cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, which left approximately 1,200 Israelis dead and over 250 taken hostage. In the nearly 20 months since, Israel’s military campaign has resulted in at least 53,762 deaths in Gaza, including 16,500 children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
A recent UN-backed graphic circulating on social media shows soaring malnutrition rates in Gaza, with large segments of the population facing starvation.
As criticism mounts from both international allies and domestic figures, Netanyahu’s combative response signals a deepening diplomatic rift between Israel and several of its long-standing Western partners over the conduct and consequences of its war against Hamas.