Netanyahu Slams Starmer, Claims UK Leaders Back Hamas

In a fierce statement, Netanyahu contended that Western leaders are endangering Israel's security and siding with terror amid an escalating conflict.

In a provocative address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leveled accusations against UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, claiming they are effectively supporting Hamas. In a video shared on social media platform X, Netanyahu stated that these leaders had "effectively said they want Hamas to remain in power," describing them as having aligned themselves with "mass murderers, rapists, baby killers, and kidnappers."

During his remarks, Netanyahu condemned a recent attack on Israeli embassy staff in Washington D.C., asserting that Starmer and his counterparts wanted Israel to “stand down and accept that Hamas’s army of mass murderers will survive.” His comments came on the heels of a joint condemnation from the UK, France, and Canada regarding Israel’s ongoing military activities in Gaza, which included a denial of humanitarian aid, prompting warnings of concrete actions if these operations did not cease.

A spokesperson from Downing Street refrained from responding directly to Netanyahu's allegations but noted Sir Keir's previous denunciation of antisemitism and his condemnation of the Washington attack. On social media, Starmer had stated that antisemitism is an "evil we must stamp out."

Netanyahu vehemently reiterated his stance that Hamas's goal is the destruction of Israel and the annihilation of the Jewish people, questioning how this fact could “evade” Western leaders. He stated, “When mass murderers, rapists, baby killers, and kidnappers thank you, you're on the wrong side of justice.”

In response, Israeli minister Amichai Chikli expressed that leaders like Starmer are “emboldening the forces of terror.” Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has spoken out against Israel’s actions, describing the situation in Gaza as “intolerable,” and criticized the limited amount of humanitarian aid being permitted into the territory.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, in a BBC interview, referred to the current Israeli administration as a "gang of thugs" and condemned their tactics in Gaza as alarmingly aggressive. Olmert criticized the Israeli government's handling of the ongoing situation, asserting that their policies are nearing the threshold of war crimes and dismissing any backlash he has received for his outspoken views.

Since the initiation of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, following a deadly Hamas incursion on October 7, 2023, where approximately 1,200 individuals lost their lives and over 251 were seized, the conflict has escalated dramatically. Reports indicate that over 53,762 individuals, including 16,500 children, have been killed in Gaza due to the ongoing violence, as detailed by the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.