Macron: Iranian Officials' Praise for Hamas is 'Unacceptable'

Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, described the Iranian officials' praise for Hamas's attack on Israel as 'unacceptable' and stated that France is seeking to determine whether the Islamic Republic was directly involved in this attack. During a press conference with Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany, Mr. Macron said, 'I do not have an opinion on Iran's direct involvement because we do not have official evidence for that, but the public statements of Iranian officials are unacceptable, and there is a possibility that assistance may have been offered to Hamas [by the Islamic Republic].' He added, 'However, until security information proves [Iran's direct involvement], I will be cautious about this matter.' Both Macron and Scholz emphasized Israel's right to defend itself against attacks on its territory. Mr. Macron stated, 'I hope that Israel will succeed in stopping any attacks on its territory in the coming days and freeing the hostages.' In response to the question of whether Europe should end financial aid to Palestinians, he said, 'The fight against terrorism should not be confused with the most fundamental human rights and support for civilian citizens.' In reaction to the Hamas militant group's attacks on Israeli territory at the beginning of this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war on the group. Over the past three days, hundreds of locations in the Gaza Strip, which Israel claims are related to Hamas, have been bombed. Senior Iranian officials have openly welcomed Hamas's attacks during this time, referring to it as a 'victory.' John Kirby, the Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House, said on Monday that although the United States does not yet have information or evidence of the Islamic Republic's direct participation in Hamas's attacks on Israel, 'the Iranian regime has long been an accomplice by supporting Hamas and other terrorist networks across the region through training capabilities and providing resources.' Ali Khamenei referred to Hamas's attacks as an 'epic' and praised its planners. Antony Blinken emphasized support for Israel and efforts to free hostages. Reports from two American media outlets indicated evidence of the Islamic Republic's involvement in Hamas's attacks; however, the U.S. government stated that it does not have evidence.