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Israel Accuses Macron of ‘Crusade Against the Jewish State’ Over Gaza Aid Criticism, Settlement Sanctions Threat
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers the keynote address at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore, May 30, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Edgar Su
Israel has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of waging a “crusade against the Jewish state” after the French leader called on European nations to adopt a tougher stance toward Israel over its handling of humanitarian aid in Gaza.
“President Macron’s Crusade Against the Jewish State Continues,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on X. “The facts do not interest Macron. There is no humanitarian blockade. That is a blatant lie.”
President Macron’s Crusade Against the Jewish State Continues.
The facts do not interest Macron.
There is no humanitarian blockade.
That is a blatant lie.
Israel is currently facilitating the entry of aid to Gaza through two parallel efforts.In the first effort, nearly 900 aid… pic.twitter.com/cUr3xthnRK
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) May 30, 2025
Speaking at a press conference in Singapore on Friday, Macron urged European countries to “harden the collective position” against Israel and warned of possible sanctions against Israeli settlers.
“The humanitarian blockade is creating a situation that is untenable on the ground,” the French leader said alongside Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. “If there is no response that meets the humanitarian situation in the coming hours and days, obviously, we will have to toughen our collective position.”
Israel has strongly denied allegations of causing starvation in Gaza, emphasizing that, prior to its recent blockade, it had consistently delivered substantial humanitarian aid to the enclave throughout the conflict.
In its statement, the ministry explained Israel is currently enabling two key initiatives to deliver humanitarian aid while bypassing Hamas — which Israeli officials have accused of diverting supplies to fund terrorism and profiting off the remainder.
The Israeli government has also argued that international agencies are unfit to manage aid distribution, claiming they allow Hamas to exploit the aid system.
According to the ministry, “nearly 900 aid trucks have already entered Gaza from Israel this week” as part of the first major effort to deliver humanitarian assistance to the war-torn enclave.
“Hundreds of these trucks are still waiting for the UN to collect and distribute them in Gaza,” the statement said.
The second initiative involves the newly launched Gaza Humanitarian Fund, backed by the US and international partners, which “has already distributed two million meals and tens of thousands of aid packages” since beginning operations earlier this week, the ministry said.
As part of this operation, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) inspects the shipments at the Kerem Shalom border crossing. The aid is then distributed at designated centers in southern Gaza, secured by American contractors, while non-governmental organizations handle direct distribution to ensure Hamas does not divert the supplies.
“This direct aid to the population in Gaza — bypassing Hamas — is already changing the situation on the ground and has the potential to seriously harm the terrorists and shorten the war,” the ministry said in its statement.
The ministry also condemned Macron’s proposal for sanctions on Israeli settlers, emphasizing that Israel is “under attack on multiple fronts in an attempt to destroy it.”
“But instead of applying pressure on the jihadist terrorists, Macron wants to reward them with a Palestinian state. No doubt its national day will be Oct. 7,” the ministry said, referring to the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
During his two-day state visit to Singapore, Macron reaffirmed France’s commitment to a two-state solution while addressing the Shangri-La Dialogue – Asia’s leading defense forum.
“The existence of a Palestinian state is not just simply a moral duty but also a political necessity,” the French leader said.
Macron’s latest call for a Palestinian state came as Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed on Friday to build a “Jewish Israeli state” in the West Bank, following the government’s announcement of 22 new settlements in the territory.
“This is a decisive response to the terrorist organizations that are trying to harm and weaken our hold on this land – and it is also a clear message to Macron and his associates: they will recognize a Palestinian state on paper – but we will build the Jewish Israeli state here on the ground,” the Israeli official said.
The post Israel Accuses Macron of ‘Crusade Against the Jewish State’ Over Gaza Aid Criticism, Settlement Sanctions Threat first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Hostage Deal talks Stalled as Hamas Rejects New Israeli Framework – Report
US President Donald Trump and Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attend a signing ceremony in Doha, Qatar, May 14, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Brian Snyder
i24 News – i24NEWS’s diplomatic affairs correspondent, Amichai Stein, reported Sunday evening that negotiations over a potential hostage deal have hit a standstill.
According to political sources, “the negotiations are stalled, Hamas is refusing the new framework presented by Israel.”
Throughout the day, no direct negotiation meetings were held. Instead, the small security cabinet is set to convene this evening to discuss the state of the talks.
There is also speculation of a potential meeting between Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and US President Donald Trump to address the impasse and broader regional dynamics.
In parallel, Arab diplomats have reportedly issued a warning to Israel regarding its plan to construct a “humanitarian city” in Gaza. According to sources, diplomats cautioned that the initiative could harm the fragile fabric of the Abraham Accords and inflame regional tensions.
The post Hostage Deal talks Stalled as Hamas Rejects New Israeli Framework – Report first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Iran: ‘Israel Will Pay the Price’ for Allegedly Trying to Kill Pezeshkian
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivers a speech during the National Army Day parade ceremony in Tehran, Iran, April 18, 2025. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
i24 News – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was slightly injured in the leg during an Israeli airstrike, according to a report on Sunday by the Iranian news agency Fars, prompting Iran to launch a widespread probe to root out suspected moles that infiltrated the Islamic Republic’s highest ranks.
Al Jazeera cited an unnamed Iranian official who said, “The assassination attempt on President Pezeshkian will not go unanswered – Israel will pay the price.”
According to Fars, which has ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the attack took place on the morning of Monday, June 16, while a meeting of the Supreme National Security Council was held on the lower floors of a building in western Tehran. In addition to the Iranian president, Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the head of the judiciary Mohseni Ajei, as well as other senior regime officials were attending this meeting.
Six bombs or missiles targeted the entry and exit points of the building in order to block evacuation routes and disrupt air circulation, the report said. This operation is said to have been inspired by the elimination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut last year. Following the explosions, power was cut on that floor, but the leaders managed to escape through an emergency exit prepared in advance.
Pezeshkian and several other officials sustained minor leg injuries during the evacuation, according to the agency. Given the accuracy of the information used in the attack, the media outlet reports that authorities are investigating the possibility of collaboration with Israel.
Official confirmation and reactions
A few days earlier, a high-ranking military leader in the Revolutionary Guards, Mohsen Rezaei, had stated on state television that Israel had “attacked six locations where the Supreme National Security Council had gathered, but none of its members had suffered even minor injuries.”
Pezeshkian had previously accused Israel of having attempted to assassinate him. “They tried, yes,” he told American journalist Tucker Carlson during an interview last week. “They acted accordingly, but they failed.”
The post Iran: ‘Israel Will Pay the Price’ for Allegedly Trying to Kill Pezeshkian first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Hezbollah Violates Ceasefire 7 Times a Day on Average, IDF Figures Show
A drone view of buildings in Lebanon, next to the Israel-Lebanon border, following the ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah, as seen from Metula in northern Israel, Dec. 2, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg
i24 News – The Shiite jihadists of Hezbollah violate the ceasefire agreement with Israel more than seven times a day on average, according to Israel Defense Forces data obtained by i24NEWS and made public for the first time on Saturday.
Israel has flagged upward of 1,200 violations by Hezbollah in its report to the US-led five-country monitoring panel tasked with supervising the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
Of these, 650 violations were relayed to the Lebanese army for handling, while the rest of the times the IDF responded by attacking the violators.
The Lebanese army has identified 390 additional violations on its own initiative and filed a report saying that it had handled them.
Thus official data shows that the Lebanese army handled 52% of all violations, and 440 of the targets Israel flagged by Israel.
The majority of the infractions the Lebanese army manages to stem are concentrated in the south of the country.
The post Hezbollah Violates Ceasefire 7 Times a Day on Average, IDF Figures Show first appeared on Algemeiner.com.