Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has issued a statement seeking to clarify her government’s stance on a ceasefire in Gaza after a video from a senior Hamas official commending Canada’s position drew attention online.
She added her government continues to “unequivocally” condemn Hamas’ terrorist attacks launched on Oct. 7, which caused an “appalling loss of life.”
The Liberal government changed its stance on the matter of a ceasefire on Dec. 12 after weeks of resisting calling for one, instead seeking a “humanitarian pause.”
The same day, Canada also voted for a United Nations resolution calling for a ceasefire, with the text of the resolution saying it “does not condemn Hamas or make any specific reference to the extremist group.”
“The Hamas movement is watching the growing calls by several Western governments to end the aggression on Gaza, in addition to the other calls worldwide demanding immediate ceasefire in Gaza Strip, the last of which was a statement by Canada, Australia, and New Zealand backing [a] sustainable ceasefire in Gaza,” said Hamas politburo member Ghazi Hamad.
“We welcome these developments and consider them in the right direction to our isolation [of] the fascist Israeli government globally.”
Hamas, which Canada considers a terrorist entity, launched raids inside Israel on Oct. 7, leading to the death of about 1,200 people and the kidnapping of about 240.
The Canadian government immediately said it supported Israel’s right to self-defence according to international law.
At the same time, Liberal ministers have denounced the heavy civilian toll in the Gaza Strip.
“The voices from Israel’s strongest friends, like Canada, like Australia, especially like the United States ... are becoming increasingly concerned ... that the short-term actions being taken by Israel are actually putting at risk the long-term safety and even support for a Jewish state into the future,” he said.
“I have been clear that the price of justice cannot be the continued suffering of all Palestinian civilians. Even wars have rules,” said Mr. Trudeau.
This drew a public rebuke from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “It is not Israel that is deliberately targeting civilians but Hamas that beheaded, burned and massacred civilians in the worst horrors perpetrated on Jews since the Holocaust,” he wrote on X.
