Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the leaders of France, Britain and Canada of wanting to help the Palestinian militant group Hamas after they threatened to take "concrete action" if Israel did not stop its latest offensive in Gaza.

The criticism, echoing similar remarks from Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Thursday, was part of a fightback by the Israeli government against the increasingly heavy international pressure on it over the war in Gaza.

"You're on the wrong side of humanity and you're on the wrong side of history," Netanyahu said.

The Israeli leader, facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes in Gaza, has regularly criticized European countries as well as global institutions from the United Nations to the International Court of Justice over what he says is their bias against Israel.

But as the flow of images of destruction and hunger in Gaza has continued, fuelling protests in countries around the world, Israel has struggled to turn international opinion, which has increasingly shifted against it.

"It's hard to convince at least some people, definitely on the far left in the U.S. and in some countries in Europe, that what Israel is doing is a war of defence," said former Israeli diplomat Yaki Dayan.

"But this is how it is perceived in Israel and bridging this gap is sometimes an impossible mission," he said.

Israeli officials have been particularly concerned about growing calls for other countries in Europe to follow the example of Spain and Ireland in recognizing a Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution to resolve decades of conflict in the region.

Netanyahu argues that a Palestinian state would threaten Israel and he has framed the killing of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington on Tuesday by a man who allegedly shouted "Free Palestine" as a clear example of that threat.

He said "exactly the same chant" was heard during the attack on Israel by Hamas on Oct 7, 2023.

"They don't want a Palestinian state. They want to destroy the Jewish state," he said in a statement on the social media platform X.

"I could never understand how this simple truth evades the leaders of France, Britain, Canada and others," he said, adding that any moves by Western countries to recognize a Palestinian state would "reward these murderers with the ultimate prize".

Instead of advancing peace, the three leaders were "emboldening Hamas to continue fighting forever", he said.

AID BLOCKADE

The Israeli leader, whose government depends on far-right support, said Hamas, which issued a statement welcoming the move, had thanked French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canada's Mark Carney over what he said was their demand for an immediate end to the war.

The leaders' statement on Monday did not demand an immediate end to the war, but a halt to Israel's new military offensive on Gaza and a lifting of its restrictions on humanitarian aid. Israel had prevented aid from entering Gaza since March, before relaxing its blockade this week.

"By issuing their demand – replete with a threat of sanctions against Israel, against Israel, not Hamas – these three leaders effectively said they want Hamas to remain in power," Netanyahu said.

"And they give them hope to establish a second Palestinian state from which Hamas will again seek to destroy the Jewish state."

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said France, which like Britain and Canada designates Hamas as a terrorist organization, was "unwaveringly committed to Israel's security" but he said it was "absurd and slanderous" to accuse supporters of a two-state solution of encouraging antisemitism or Hamas.

French government spokesperson Sophie Primas said France did not accept Netanyahu's accusations, adding: "We need to de-escalate this rising tension between our two states and work to find lasting peace solutions, for Israel and for Palestine."

Asked about Netanyahu's remarks, Britain's armed forces minister Luke Pollard said London stood with Israel in their right to self-defence. "But that self-defence must be conducted within the bounds of international humanitarian law," he said.

"At this moment, we stand fast against terrorism, but we also want to make sure that the aid is getting into Gaza," Pollard told Times Radio.

Israel's offensive in Gaza was launched in retaliation for the October 7, 2023 attack, which killed some 1,200 people and saw 251 taken as hostage into Gaza. It has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians and devastated the enclave, where wide areas have been reduced to rubble.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Israel may change tack to allow aid groups in Gaza to stay in charge of non-food aid

As pressure mounts to get more aid into Gaza, Israel appears to be changing tack and may let aid groups operating in the battered enclave remain in charge of non-food assistance while leaving food distribution to a newly established U.S.-backed group, according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press.

The development indicates Israel may be walking back from its plans to tightly control all aid to Gaza and prevent aid agencies long established in the territory from delivering it in the same way they have done in the past.

Israel accuses Hamas of siphoning off aid but the United Nations and aid groups deny there is significant diversion. The U.N. has rejected Israel’s plan, saying it allows Israel to use food as a weapon, violates human humanitarian principles and won’t be effective.

Israel had blocked food, fuel, medicine and all other supplies from entering Gaza for nearly three months, worsening a humanitarian crisis for 2.3 million Palestinians there. Experts have warned of a high risk of famine and international criticism and outrage over Israel's offensive has escalated.

Even the United States, a staunch ally, has voiced concerns over the hunger crisis.

The letter, dated May 22, is from Jake Wood, the head of the Israel-approved Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, or GHF, and is addressed to COGAT, the Israeli military agency in charge of transferring aid to the territory.

It says that Israel and GHF have agreed to allow non-food humanitarian aid — from medical supplies to hygiene items and shelter materials — to be handled and distributed under an existing system, which is led by the United Nations. U.N. agencies have so far provided the bulk of the aid for Gaza.

The foundation would still maintain control over food distribution, but there would be a period of overlap with aid groups, the letter said.

“GHF acknowledges that we do not possess the technical capacity or field infrastructure to manage such distributions independently, and we fully support the leadership of these established actors in this domain,” it said.

The foundation confirmed the authenticity of the letter. A spokesman for GHF said the agreement with Israel came after persistent advocacy. While it acknowledged that many aid groups remain opposed to the plan, it said GHF will continue to advocate for an expansion of aid into Gaza and to allow aid groups' work in the enclave to proceed.

COGAT declined to comment on the letter and referred the AP to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which did not respond to a request for comment.

U.N. officials also did not reply to requests for comment.

Unclear who is funding GHF

The GHF, which is not yet up and working in Gaza, is run by security contractors, ex-military officers and humanitarian aid officials, and has the backing of Israel.

The group says it plans to handle food aid, initially from a handful of hubs in southern and central Gaza with armed private contractors that would guard the distribution. Additional sites will be opened within a month, including in northern Gaza.

The letter says aid agencies will continue providing food assistance in parallel to the GHF until at least eight sites are up and running.

Aid groups have been pushing back on the GHF and Israel's plans to take over the handling of food aid, saying it could forcibly displace large numbers of Palestinians by pushing them toward the distribution hubs and that the foundation doesn't have the capacity to meet the needs of the Palestinians in Gaza.

It’s also unclear who is funding the GHF, which claims to have more than $100 million in commitments from a foreign government donor but has not named the donor.

'Functioning aid'

The letter says that GHF's Wood was on a call with the CEOs of six aid groups discussing the new plans, including Save the Children, International Medical Corps, Catholic Relief Services, Mercy Corps, CARE International and Project HOPE.

Rabih Torbay, head of Project HOPE, confirmed the call and said his organization was encouraged to hear that the delivery of medicines and other non-food items would continue under the current system.

Still, Torbay appealed for food aid to be allowed into Gaza without “obstruction or politicization.”

A spokesperson for CARE said it has shared its concerns regarding GHF’s proposal for food distribution in the hubs and reiterated the importance of using existing distribution mechanisms under the U.N. The spokesperson said the meeting was an opportunity to ask a lot of questions, but CARE's attendance was not an endorsement of the effort.

Mairav Zonszein, a senior analyst on Israel for the International Crisis Group, says the letter is a clear sign that both Israel and the GHF recognize the humanitarian catastrophe people face in Gaza and the need for immediate aid.

“The GHF and Israel are clearly scrambling to get something that works — or at least the appearance of functioning aid — and that this mechanism is not ready or equipped or fitting for the needs of the population in Gaza,” Zonszein said.

Ahmed Bayram, Middle East spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council, said that Israel is part of the conflict and should not be in control of the aid distribution.

“Israel interfering in parts or all of that process would be damaging to the independence and neutrality of humanitarian aid,” Bayram said.

Humanitarian principles

The GHF came under more scrutiny this week, with TRIAL International — a Geneva-based advocacy group focusing on international justice — saying Friday that it was taking legal action to urge Swiss authorities to monitor the group, which is registered in Switzerland.

The foundation's spokesperson has insisted that it abides by humanitarian principles and operates free from Israeli control. The spokesperson, speaking anonymously under the foundation's policy, told the AP earlier this week that it is not a military operation and that its armed security guards are necessary for it to work in Gaza.

The war in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251 others. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The US-backed Gaza aid plan and why the UN doesn't like it

[U.S. President Donald Trump, saying:] ''We're going to help the people of Gaza get some food. People are starving..."

A U.S.-backed aid organization aims to start work in the Gaza Strip by the end of May.

It's meant to oversee distribution in the Palestinian enclave, where experts warn famine looms.

But the United Nations refuses to work with it.

[U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher, saying:] "It makes aid conditional on political and military aims. It makes starvation a bargaining chip."

Here's a look at why.

:: How is aid delivered now?

Israel stopped all aid access on March 2.

It's now letting some in but it's hindered by Israeli restrictions.

Israel first inspects and approves aid. It's dropped off on the Gaza side where the U.N. hands it out.

Israel accused Hamas of stealing aid, which the militants deny.

Undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs Tom Fletcher says the U.N. system works when it can.

"We have rigorous mechanisms to ensure our aid gets to civilians and not to Hamas. But Israel denies us access, placing the objective of depopulating Gaza before the lives of civilians."

Looting by armed gangs is a result of desperation, according to Jens Laerke of the U.N.'s OCHA agency.

"Open access for all this aid to come in to meet the needs of desperate people, and the market of desperation disappears and there's no reason to loot the trucks."

:: What is the new organization?

The U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, founded in February in Switzerland, will work with private U.S. security and logistics firms.

A source informed on the plan said more than $100 million have been committed to the body, but it wasn't clear where from.

Initially, four secure distribution sites are planned - three in the south and one in central Gaza, later spreading to northern Gaza.

:: Why won't the U.N. work with the GHF?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel intends "to have large safe zones in the south of Gaza," to which the Palestinian population would, quote, "move for their own safety."

That's raised alarm bells.

"It forces further displacement. It exposes thousands of people to harm."

The GHF said it wouldn't support the forced relocation of civilians and that there was no limit on the number of sites it could open or where.

Alex de Waal of Tufts University's World Peace Foundation warned of "surveillance humanitarianism."

"Israel has very good intelligence about all the individuals in Gaza, and it will screen them and it will use sophisticated face recognition technology due to make sure only those individuals that are screened and targeted are able to access the food."

The GHF said it wouldn't share information on aid recipients with Israel and that its military would have no presence within the immediate vicinity of the distribution sites.

The United Nations and other aid agencies say aid systems must be independent and neutral, away from military control.

Alexandra Saieh of Save the Children International said the plan would leave Gazans vulnerable.

"How are the elderly who are have been starved supposed to walk miles and miles to access humanitarian assistance? How are children who have no parents supposed to enter what may be militarised zones to collect assistance? How are people who have been injured, who are disabled supposed to go long, you know, long, long distances to access assistance?"

And without a ceasefire, it's unclear how any mechanism can deliver enough aid to meet the vast needs of Gaza.