French President Emmanuel Macron told the United Nations General Assembly that Hamas has never operated in the West Bank. The remark formed part of his broader criticism of Israeli policies in the territory and quickly drew sharp pushback. Within hours, video circulated showing masked and armed militants marching in tactical gear through a West Bank street, carrying green flags and portraits of fallen fighters. The footage was presented as direct visual contradiction of the French leader’s assertion.

The group in the video is identified as the Jenin Brigade, an umbrella militant network founded in 2021 that is primarily linked to Palestinian Islamic Jihad but also includes members from Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades and other factions. Such public displays underline the continued presence of armed activity by West Bank militias and the cross-faction cooperation that has persisted amid the wider conflict. The episode has intensified debate over the accuracy of Macron’s characterization and the practical realities of security conditions on the ground.