Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Iran was involved in the Hamas terrorist attack against Israel in October, a claim that exceeds any made by the U.S. thus far.
“We continue every day to look at more ways to continue to hold this terrible regime [to account] that has as its first victims its own citizens, but also is involved in terrorist attacks, including the Oct. 7 terrorist attack against Israel,” said the prime minister.
When pressed for a yes or no answer, Mr. Trudeau said Canada would “continue to do everything necessary both to hold that regime to account to limit its impact around the world and to protect Canadians.”
Iran has been a longstanding supporter of Hamas and shares the objective to destroy Israel, which has raised questions about its involvement in the attack.
Mr. Trudeau did not shed any light on Iran’s role in the attack and his office has not returned a request for clarification. Outside Israel, other governments have not said that Iran was involved in the attack on Israel.
“Now, as to the question of whether Iran knew about this attack in advance or helped plan or direct this attack, we do not — as of the moment I’m standing here at the podium — have confirmation of that,” he said.
The Epoch Times reached out to the Department of National Defence (DND) and Global Affairs Canada (GAC) for comment but didn’t hear back immediately.
DND has previously shared publicly its information about a controversial event of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Liberal ministers have not retracted their statements. “What was said previously will remain in the public domain,” Defence Minister Bill Blair said on Oct. 23 when asked about whether a retraction would be made.
Mr. Trudeau from the onset has said that Israel has the right to defend itself according to international law, but pressure has been building for him to call for a ceasefire as the IDF pushes further into Gaza.
“The human tragedy that is unfolding in Gaza is heart wrenching, especially the suffering we see in and around the Al-Shifa Hospital,” he said on Nov. 14.
“The world is witnessing this killing of women and children, of babies. This has to stop.”
“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 said.
Israel says that Hamas has been using hospitals like Al-Shifa to hide command posts and hostages. The claim has been backed by the White House, but denied by Hamas.
“We have information that confirms that Hamas is using that particular hospital for a command and control node” and probably to store weapons, spokesman John Kirby said. “That is a war crime.”
