Netanyahu accuses Starmer of siding with Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has mentioned Sir Keir Starmer and different leaders have “successfully mentioned they need Hamas to stay in energy”.

He additionally accused British, French and Canadian leaders of siding with “mass murderers, rapists, child killers and kidnappers”.

In a video posted on X addressing Thursday’s attack on Israeli embassy workers in Washington DC, Netanyahu mentioned Sir Keir, Emmanuel Macron and Mark Carney wished Israel to “stand down and settle for that Hamas’s military of mass murderers will survive”.

Downing Avenue has declined to remark instantly on Netanyahu’s remarks, however pointed to Sir Keir’s earlier condemnation of the Washington assault on X.

In that post, Sir Keir referred to as antisemitism an “evil we should stamp out”.

On Monday, the UK, France and Canada condemned the expanded Israeli military operation and denial of humanitarian help to civilians in Gaza, and threatened concrete actions if they didn’t cease.

Netanyahu mentioned Hamas need to destroy Israel and annihilate the Jewish individuals.

“I may by no means perceive how this straightforward fact 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, child killers and kidnappers thanks, you are on the flawed facet of justice.”

“You are on the flawed facet of humanity, and also you’re on the flawed facet of historical past,” he added.

An Israeli minister, Amichai Chikli, mentioned Sir Keir and different leaders had been “emboldening the forces of terror”.

Earlier, the UK prime minister said he was “horrified” by Israel’s actions and referred to as the scenario in Gaza “insupportable”, including that Israel’s determination to permit solely a small quantity of help into Gaza was “totally insufficient”.

In an interview for BBC World Service’s Newshour programme, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert described the present Israeli administration as a “gang of thugs”.

He was requested about remarks by the Israeli training minister, who had mentioned Olmert needs to be ashamed of a earlier interview with the BBC, the place he argued that what Israel was doing in Gaza was “near a struggle crime”.

“That is nonsense, they’re a gaggle of thugs which can be working the state of Israel today and the pinnacle of the gang is Netanyahu – this can be a gang of thugs,” Olmert mentioned.

“In fact they’re criticising me, they’re defaming me, I settle for it, and it’ll not cease me from criticising and opposing these atrocious insurance policies.”

Israel launched a army marketing campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas’s cross-border assault on 7 October 2023, wherein about 1,200 individuals had been killed and 251 others had been taken hostage.

Not less than 53,762 individuals, together with 16,500 youngsters, have been killed in Gaza since then, in accordance with the territory’s Hamas-run well being ministry.