‘A prize for genocidal Oct 7’: PM Netanyahu rebukes sanction threats by UK, France & Canada over Gaza offensive & aid

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued an unusually sharp rebuke on Monday evening after a statement by the leaders of the UK, France, and Canada, who threatened to recognize a Palestinian state and to issue sanctions if Israel didn’t stop the Gaza offensive and restore aid to the enclave.

“By asking Israel to end a defensive war for our survival before Hamas terrorists on our border are destroyed and by demanding a Palestinian state, the leaders in London, Ottawa and Paris are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7 while inviting more such atrocities,” Netanyahu hit back in a statement.

In a joint statement issued on Monday, the three countries bemoaned the “intolerable” level of “human suffering in Gaza,” while dismissing the restoration of aid on Monday as “wholly inadequate.”

We firmly oppose the expansion of Israeli military operations in Gaza. The level of human suffering is intolerable.

In the lead-up to the June 18 conference in New York, we must all work toward implementing the two-state solution.

Our joint statement — France, the United…

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 19, 2025

“We will not stand by while the Netanyahu Government pursues these egregious actions. If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response,” they added.

The statement also threatened “further action, including targeted sanctions” over the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, saying they were “illegal and undermine the viability of a Palestinian state and the security of both Israelis and Palestinians.”

Asked about the “further actions” in a radio interview on Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot brought up a possible review of the EU-Israel Association Council, which was reactivated only recently.

“And we are committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to achieving a two-state solution and are prepared to work with others to this end,” the leaders emphasized.

In his response, Netanyahu stressed that the war began with the Oct. 7, 2023, invasion and massacre, reiterating that this is a “war of civilization over barbarism.”

“Israel accepts President Trump's vision and urges all European leaders to do the same. The war can end tomorrow if the remaining hostages are released, Hamas lays down its arms, its murderous leaders are exiled and Gaza is demilitarized. No nation can be expected to accept anything less and Israel certainly won't,” he said.

What a disgrace. pic.twitter.com/aH8YZOGNXF

— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) May 20, 2025

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar didn’t respond directly but shared a screenshot of a statement by Hamas praising the statement on 𝕏, writing, “What a disgrace.”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich charged that “the leaders of France, the UK, and Canada morally aligned themselves with a terrorist organization that raped, slaughtered, murdered, and burned women, babies, and children, and that repeatedly declares its goal to destroy the State of Israel.”

“Israel will not bow its head before this moral hypocrisy, antisemitism, and one-sidedness,” he said.

This latest diplomatic clash comes amid a rising tide of international criticism over Israel’s new Gaza offensive and the lack of humanitarian aid, despite its restoration on Monday.

According to Army Radio, Sa’ar gave a “dramatic speech” during Sunday’s cabinet meeting, warning of a series of significant moves against Israel by several states, most of them in Europe, unless the humanitarian situation in Gaza improves.

Sa’ar was also among the few voices supporting the restoration of aid. During a meeting with the pro-Israel advocacy organization StandWithUs this week, Sa’ar explained, “Legitimacy and the international arena are part of the war arena.”

“We must be consistent and confident that we are waging the war in a way that our allies can support. According to the IDF's assessments today, we are close to the red line, we are not interested in crossing it, and we are interested in answering the concerns of our friends,” Sa’ar said.