At the opening of the United Nations General Assembly, French President Emmanuel Macron drew sharp criticism from Israel and the United States after making remarks about Hamas's presence in the West Bank. Macron's original statement was translated as claiming "Hamas was never active in the West Bank," prompting Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon to challenge the claim and US Ambassador Mike Huckabee to criticise it as "out of touch with reality." France subsequently clarified that Macron had meant to say Hamas does not govern the West Bank, rather than having no presence there. This exchange underscores the diplomatic tensions at the UN as world leaders debate Israel's military operations and the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

The controversy occurred as the UN General Assembly opened with Gaza dominating discussions despite a ceasefire. According to Israeli officials, Hamas has carried out more than 80 lethal terrorist attacks from the West Bank since 1990, killing over 350 Israeli civilians. Meanwhile, approximately 72,000 Palestinians have been reported killed in Gaza according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. UN Secretary-General António Guterres criticised Israel's response in Gaza as "a scale of killing and destruction unlike anything I have witnessed," whilst King Abdullah II of Jordan accused Israel of "war crimes," with both leaders drawing comparisons to other global crises including the conflict in Sudan.