The Israeli Prime Minister's Office called the initial assertion a "grotesque absurdity" and cited the recent murder of Netanel Shukrun, a French citizen and father of six, by a Hamas terrorist in the West Bank on the eve of Yom Kippur. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also rejected the president's claim, asserting that Hamas actively fuels terrorism and maintains a significant presence in Judea and Samaria.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
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France Corrects Macron’s UN Claim That Hamas Never Operated in West Bank
Geopolitics28 days ago
A French diplomatic official stated that President Emmanuel Macron intended to clarify that the group does not govern the region, following a speech at the United Nations General Assembly. The remark serves as a correction to Macron's earlier claim that Hamas was "never active" in the West Bank, a statement the French official told the Times of Israel should not be misrepresented.
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