Blue and White leader Benny Gantz and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have accused the UK, France and other allies of undermining the prospects for a ceasefire
August 10, 2025 10:31
Israeli opposition politician and former war cabinet member Benny Gantz and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have criticised the UK, France and other Western nations for undermining prospects for a hostage deal and hardening Hamas’s position through recent actions – including public condemnation of Israel and promises to recognise a Palestinian state.
Responding to a British Foreign Office post on X sharing a joint statement from the foreign ministers of Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, the UK and the EU’s High Representative – which criticised Israel’s decision to expand its military operation in Gaza – Gantz said such steps were counter-productive.
“Actions like unilateral, illusionary Palestinian recognition, weapons sanctions and critical letters to Israel are harming the prospects of securing a hostage deal,” the Blue and White Party leader wrote. “Not only do they inadvertently reward terror and harden Hamas’ position – they are prolonging the war. As an Israeli opposition leader, let me say this very clearly: instead of pressuring Israel, the West should focus on putting an end to Hamas leadership’s impunity abroad.”
Actions like unilateral illusionary Palestinian recognition, weapon sanctions & critical letters of Israel are harming the prospects of securing a hostage deal.
Not only do they inadvertently reward terror and harden Hamas’ position - they are prolonging the war.
As an… https://t.co/zzllRCo7YV
Early on Friday morning, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan for an operation to take control of Gaza City, the Strip’s capital. The IDF already controls roughly 75 per cent of Gaza but has so far avoided major incursions into key northern cities, where some of the remaining hostages are believed to be held.
Also on Friday, Rubio said a ceasefire agreement – under which ten hostages would have been released – collapsed last month on the day French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would recognise a Palestinian state.
“Talks with Hamas fell apart on the day Macron made the unilateral decision that he’s going to recognise the Palestinian state,” Rubio said. “Then you have other countries say, ‘If there’s not a ceasefire by September, we’re going to recognise a Palestinian state,’” he added, referring most likely to the UK. Hamas basically concluded, “‘Let’s not do a ceasefire, because we can be rewarded. We can claim it as a victory.’”
"Talks with Hamas fell apart on the day Macron made the unilateral decision that he’s going to recognize the Palestinian state ... So those messages, while largely symbolic in their minds, actually have made it harder to get peace and harder to achieve a deal with Hamas. " —… pic.twitter.com/Xt74bu7umF
— Department of State (@StateDept) August 8, 2025
Rubio had made similar remarks the previous week about the UK’s announcement:
“They are hurting ceasefire talks… The UK is like, well, if Israel doesn’t agree to a ceasefire by September, we’re going to recognise a Palestinian state. So if I’m Hamas, I say, you know what, let’s not allow there to be a ceasefire.”
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