(Ottawa) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, while he says he understands that Israel wants the release of its nationals taken hostage by Hamas, also affirms that “we must ask ourselves if the cost of justice must be that all Palestinian civilians are suffering.
He made the statement Friday while answering questions from journalists on the sidelines of a visit to Washington.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintained that no “humanitarian pause” in the Middle East – where the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has continued for nearly a month – is possible until Hamas has not released the hostages captured during the surprise attacks against Israeli civilians on October 7.
Canada has been calling for “humanitarian pauses” for more than a week, a position that aligns with similar calls made by the United States.
“We need to ensure (the arrival) of humanitarian aid, […] water, medicine, food, electricity to be able to function and that is why we are calling for humanitarian pauses as quickly as possible to protect the lives of civilians,” Mr. Trudeau.
The Canadian Prime Minister did not deviate from his position when asked by representatives of the press to indicate whether he now considers requesting a ceasefire.
PHOTO NATHAN DENETTE, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau leaves the Canadian Embassy after holding a press conference in Washington.
We all understand how much Israel wants and needs its hostages to be released. […] These hostages must be found [et] released. At the same time, one must ask whether the cost of justice must be that all Palestinian civilians suffer.
Justin Trudeau
As for Canadians stuck in Palestinian territory, the Prime Minister said he had “a lot of hope that we will see them in the days to come.”
Global Affairs Canada said it had received information that “more than 400 Canadian citizens, permanent residents and eligible family members will be able to leave Gaza through the Rafah border crossing in the coming days.” The ministry specified that it had been informed of this by a unit of the Israeli Defense Forces, namely the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories.
According to email communications received by Canadian nationals from Ottawa, the evacuation could occur “in the coming days, and possibly as soon as Sunday.” The Government of Canada has not confirmed such a possible timeline.
PHOTO MAHMUD HAMS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
As of early Friday morning Eastern Time, Canada had not yet been added to the official list of “foreign passports” approved for travel through the Rafah border crossing, which allows entry into Egypt.
Several people, including foreign nationals from other countries, have been authorized for several days to leave Palestinian territory through the Rafah crossing, on the border with Egypt. The Canadians have not been part of it until now.
Global Affairs Canada, however, indicated on Wednesday that it was “aware of information according to which a Canadian citizen crossed the Rafah border with a third party on 1er november “.
In its update on Friday, the ministry assured that consular staff would be present in Egypt to support Canadian nationals on the ground. It was noted that this will include “facilitating bus transportation to Cairo and assisting with onward travel to Canada.”
Defense Minister Bill Blair affirmed from Ottawa that there was “no specific obstacle” to the evacuation of these people, and that the Canadian government was working in close collaboration with Israel, Egypt, the States -United States and the United Kingdom.
PHOTO ADRIAN WYLD, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Defense Minister Bill Blair
“For now, the Egyptian government is only allowing foreign embassies to visit the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing once the evacuation of their residents from the Gaza Strip has been confirmed,” he said. , Global Affairs Canada.
Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly wrote Thursday evening on the X platform that she had discussed the issue with her Israeli counterpart. Eli Cohen would have confirmed to him that “Canadians and their families will be able to leave Gaza in the coming days”, according to Mme Joly.
More than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel, most of them during the initial Hamas attacks on October 7. Additionally, around 240 hostages were taken from Israel to Gaza by the militant organization.
The Israeli military response has so far left more than 9,000 Palestinians dead, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. In the West Bank, more than 140 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes.
With information from Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press, and the Associated Press