(Ottawa) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday that Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip aimed at driving Hamas militants from Palestinian territory are making it difficult to achieve long-term stability in the region.
Published at 5:19 p.m. Updated at 7:58 p.m.
Dylan Robertson The Canadian Press
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the APEC summit in San Francisco, Trudeau said the path to a “sustainable two-state solution” would become more difficult “given all the difficulties that the Palestinians are going through.”
Canada is extremely concerned about the number of civilian deaths in Gaza.
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
In response to that question, Mr. Trudeau also reiterated his call for Israel to show “utmost restraint” – a phrase he used on Tuesday and was rebuked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
On Friday, Mr. Trudeau said that during his conversation on Thursday with Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s War Cabinet, he highlighted Canada’s “deep concern” about what the United Nations called a “humanitarian catastrophe” affecting millions of people in the “It will hit the world for days and weeks” and is already affecting many people.
The conversation with Mr. Gantz came a day after the row with Benjamin Netanyahu, which was sparked by Mr. Trudeau’s call for Israel to “stop the killing of women, children and babies” in the besieged Palestinian territories.
Mr. Trudeau said he has “longstanding disagreements with Prime Minister Netanyahu about the need for a two-state solution and about our condemnation of (illegal) settlements,” but noted that this has long been Canada’s policy toward the Middle East.
“While it is imperative that we ensure that the hostages are released and the Hamas terrorists are convicted and brought to justice, we must also work for peace and stability in the region, and that means protecting the lives of civilians; “That means providing Gaza with the aid, medicine and water it needs,” Trudeau argued Friday.
The prime minister also said he was disturbed by “Canadians’ angry reactions” against each other since this new war broke out between Israel and Hamas. He particularly mentioned Jewish schools, which were victims of nighttime shootings and Islamophobic acts.
For his part, conservative leader Pierre Poilievre estimated that Hamas would never accept a ceasefire. The opposition leader believes that Hamas wants to continue to commit “genocide” against Israelis and “oppress the population of Gaza.”
Mr. Poilievre also argued that the Canadian government needs to take tougher action against people in Canada associated with the Iranian regime because of ties between Tehran and Hamas, which Canada considers a terrorist entity.
Nine more people made it to Egypt
PHOTO AGENCY FRANCE PRESS
People wait to escape from the Gaza Strip in a building on the Egyptian side of Rafah.
In addition, nine other people associated with Canada were able to leave the Gaza Strip for Egypt, according to Friday’s Global Affairs Canada Update. According to the agency, 376 Canadian permanent residents and their eligible family members have so far entered Egypt through the Rafah border crossing.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Canadian government said it was in contact with 386 people still in the besieged area. Global Affairs has since stopped reporting the number of Canadians in Gaza and instead publishes a combined number with the number of Canadians in the West Bank.
This new Middle East conflict began on October 7, when Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in surprise attacks in Israel, including hundreds of civilians in their homes and at an outdoor music festival. Around 240 people were also taken hostage by Hamas fighters.
Israel declared war on Hamas and launched a massive offensive with air strikes and ground operations. Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has cut off food, fuel and water supplies to Gaza, home to 2.3 million Palestinians.
Health officials in Hamas-controlled areas say more than 11,470 people have been killed so far, two-thirds of them women and children, and another 2,700 people are missing.