Netanyahu accuses Western leaders of backing "mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has launched a scathing attack on UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, accusing them of siding with Hamas by criticizing Israel’s ongoing military operation in Gaza.

In a video statement, Netanyahu claimed the leaders had “effectively said they want Hamas to remain in power,” and further accused them of aligning with “mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers.” He was responding to recent joint criticism from the three nations, which labeled Israel’s Gaza offensive “disproportionate” and warned of potential consequences unless it halted its military campaign.

Referring to Thursday’s fatal shooting of Israeli embassy staff in Washington, Netanyahu said, “Our allies are asking us to stand down and accept that Hamas’s army of mass murderers will survive.”

Downing Street has not directly addressed Netanyahu’s accusations, but reiterated Starmer’s previous condemnation of the Washington attack, in which he called antisemitism “an evil we must stamp out.” Britain, France, and Canada all publicly supported Israel following the October 7 Hamas attacks, but have recently increased pressure on Netanyahu to scale back operations amid the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

In his statement, Netanyahu warned that Hamas aims to destroy Israel and wipe out the Jewish people, saying he could not comprehend how such a reality “evades the leaders of France, Britain, Canada and others.”

“When mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers thank you, you're on the wrong side of justice,” Netanyahu said. “You're on the wrong side of humanity, and you're on the wrong side of history.”