Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sharply criticized the leaders of Britain, France and Canada, accusing them of offering a “huge reward“ to the Palestinian group “Hamas“. The reason for this was the three leaders' calls to stop the intensified Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip, the DPA and PA Media agencies report, BTA reports.
In a joint statement issued yesterday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the “scandalous escalation“ by the Israeli government and warned that if the military offensive is not stopped and humanitarian aid to Gaza is not unblocked, “concrete measures“ will be taken.
In response, Netanyahu said that Israel will not back down from its goal of achieving “complete victory“ over “Hamas“. “Asking Israel to end the defensive war for our survival, before the “Hamas“ terrorists "By demanding the creation of a Palestinian state, leaders in London, Ottawa and Paris are offering a huge reward for the October 7 attack - an act of genocide - and are inviting more such atrocities," he said.
The three Western leaders recognized Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism, but described the actions of Israeli forces as "wholly disproportionate." They also called on "Hamas" to immediately release all remaining hostages held since the October 7, 2023 attack.
Netanyahu stressed that the conflict could end tomorrow if the hostages were released, "Hamas" disarmed, its leaders expelled and the Gaza Strip demilitarized. "No nation can be expected to accept anything less. "Israel certainly will not do that," he said. "This is a war of civilization against barbarism. Israel will continue to defend itself by just means until it achieves complete victory," the prime minister added.
Meanwhile, the UN's emergency relief coordinator, Tom Fletcher, a former British diplomat, said that since the partial lifting of the Israeli blockade on Gaza, only nine trucks carrying humanitarian aid had been allowed into the region. "This is a drop in the ocean compared to the real needs," he said. Fletcher warned that with the ongoing bombing, high levels of hunger and growing insecurity, the risks of looting and chaos remained significant.