Israel accused French President Emmanuel Macron of undertaking a “crusade against the Jewish state” after he called for European countries to harden their stance on Israel if the humanitarian situation in Gaza did not improve, AFP reports.

“There is no humanitarian blockade. That is a blatant lie,” Israel’s foreign ministry said in a statement, defending its efforts to allow in aid.

“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 October 7,” it added, alluding to the date of Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza conflict.

Macron has stepped up his statements of support for the Palestinians of late. Yesterday, he said European countries should “harden the collective position” against Israel if it did not respond appropriately to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including keeping open the possibility of sanctions.

“If we abandon Gaza, if we consider there is a free pass for Israel, even if we do condemn the terrorist attacks, we will kill our credibility,” Macron told a top defence forum in Singapore.