Netanyahu accuses Starmer of siding with Hamas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Sir Keir Starmer and other leaders have "effectively said they want Hamas to remain in power".
He also accused British, French and Canadian leaders of siding with "mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers".
In a video posted on X addressing Thursday's attack on Israeli embassy staff in Washington DC, Netanyahu said Sir Keir, Emmanuel Macron and Mark Carney wanted Israel to "stand down and accept that Hamas's army of mass murderers will survive".
Downing Street has declined to comment directly on Netanyahu's remarks, but pointed to Sir Keir's previous condemnation of the Washington attack on X.
In that post, Sir Keir called antisemitism an "evil we must stamp out".
On Monday, the UK, France and Canada condemned the expanded Israeli military operation and denial of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, and threatened concrete actions if they did not stop.
Netanyahu said Hamas want to destroy Israel and annihilate the Jewish people.
"I could never understand how this simple truth evades the leaders of France, Britain, Canada and others."
"I say to President Macron, Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Starmer, when mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers thank you, you're on the wrong side of justice."
"You're on the wrong side of humanity, and you're on the wrong side of history," he added.
An Israeli minister, Amichai Chikli, said Sir Keir and other leaders had been "emboldening the forces of terror".
Earlier, the UK prime minister said he was "horrified" by Israel's actions and called the situation in Gaza "intolerable", adding that Israel's decision to allow only a small amount of aid into Gaza was "utterly inadequate".
In an interview for BBC World Service's Newshour programme, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert described the current Israeli administration as a "gang of thugs".
He was asked about remarks by the Israeli education minister, who had said Olmert should be ashamed of a previous interview with the BBC, where he argued that what Israel was doing in Gaza was "close to a war crime".
"This is nonsense, they are a group of thugs that are running the state of Israel these days and the head of the gang is Netanyahu - this is a gang of thugs," Olmert said.
"Of course they are criticising me, they are defaming me, I accept it, and it will not stop me from criticising and opposing these atrocious policies."
Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas's cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 53,762 people, including 16,500 children, have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
Gazans fear shutdown of water plants as Israel widens offensive
Gaza baby sent back to war zone after open-heart surgery in Jordan
Jeremy Bowen: Goodwill running out as UK, France and Canada demand Israel end Gaza offensive
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wall Street Journal
14 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
How Can Congress Keep American Jews Safe?
Your editorial 'The Intifada Comes to Boulder' (June 3) rightly states that the recent violent attacks against American Jews, in Colorado and Washington, 'are intended to terrorize the Jewish diaspora.' You advise that this will get worse 'if it isn't denounced by all political sides.' That's true, but it mustn't be the end of the discussion. Republican and Democratic politicians have condemned these heinous attacks. What the American Jewish community needs now are concrete steps to keep us more safe and secure. Congress has underfunded the Nonprofit Security Grant Program—the largest federal program to support security at synagogues and other Jewish sites—administered by the Department of Homeland Security. For 2025, Congress appropriated $275 million for NSGP grants. Last year more than $900 million in applications were submitted. Congress should appropriate at least $500 million for NSGP grants for the coming year.
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Zia Yusuf's departure is a blow to Reform
Zia Yusuf's resignation has cast further doubt over Reform's viability as a serious political party, rather than a vehicle for protest votes. In the 11 months since the General Election, Nigel Farage's party lost one MP to a defection, and now seen its Chairman resign in obvious exasperation after publicly criticising the party's newest MP. This will come as a welcome reprieve for Kemi Badenoch and the Conservative party as they attempt to redefine themselves in the wake of last year's election defeat. Sir Keir Starmer, too, will be relieved by the easing of pressure to his Right. For Reform, however, this is a serious blow. The party styles itself as the de facto Opposition and the government in waiting, yet its track record to date suggested that it could struggle to make the transition from protest to power. The question mark hanging over Reform was whether it could professionalise itself, find message discipline, bring in a lot more top level talent, contain the large personalities it has attracted, and present voters with a fully fleshed-out vision for governing Britain. Over the last year, the party has made stunning progress at the polls and appeared to be making strides towards meeting these developmental milestones. Yet yesterday's drama at the top of the organisation has underlined just how much work there is still to do. This may not matter too much in the short run, where Reform's status as repository for protest votes appears assured regardless of personnel turnover. Over the next four years, however, a reputation for infighting and turmoil could put a hard ceiling on Reform's ambitions. Mr Farage's statement on Mr Yusuf's resignation appeared to indicate that he recognised this; the Reform leader was conciliatory and credited Mr Yusuf's work as being a 'huge factor' in the party's local election success. His task is now to rapidly find a competent successor to continue the development of his party, and to show that he is capable of building and retaining a team which can maintain a united front. While there is a long wait for the next election, the public is crying out for change which Sir Keir's Labour party is evidently incapable of delivering. Ms Badenoch must use this window to demonstrate that she has the radical ideas necessary to fundamentally reshape Britain; Mr Farage, that he can build a professional team which can turn a protest party into one capable of governing. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Witkoff urges Hamas to accept ceasefire proposal
Earlier on Thursday, the bodies of Judith Weinstein Haggai and her husband, Gadi Haggai, were recovered by the military. They held Canadian and American citizenships. US Envoy Steve Witkoff on Thursday said that Hamas must accept the current ceasefire proposal to ensure the remaining hostages are returned. "Although those who were murdered can never be replaced, this closure is absolutely critical and a minimum of human dignity." The bodies of hostages Judith Weinstein Haggai and her husband, Gadi Haggai, were retrieved by the IDF in the early hours of Thursday morning in a special forces operation performed in collaboration with intelligence from the Shin Bet and the IDF, the military announced. They held American and Canadian citizenships. The Mujahideen Brigades kidnapped and held the bodies of the two in Gaza after they were murdered on October 7 in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Their deaths were determined in December 2023. IDF forces carried out the rescue operation under the Southern Command. The information that allowed their retrieval into Israeli territory was learned during an interrogation of a captured terrorist. Negotiations between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US, are ongoing despite significant gaps, a source familiar with the matter told The Jerusalem Post. Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, met with senior Hamas officials based in Doha. These officials emphasized that Hamas demands US guarantees that negotiations for a deal, including a ceasefire, will continue after the initial 60-day period, the source told the Post. Efforts are being made to reach new understandings with Hamas before Eid al-Adha, which begins on Friday. In Doha, Bishara Bahbah, an envoy of Steve Witkoff, continued to engage with senior Hamas officials. The mediators, Egypt, Qatar, and the US administration, are working to advance a deal or at least secure agreements between the parties despite the challenges. Jerusalem Post Staff and Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.
