(Ottawa) An Israeli military offensive in Rafah where some 1.5 million Palestinians have found refuge would be “catastrophic,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday evening.
In a joint statement with the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand, Justin Trudeau deplores that the impact of such an incursion in Rafah would be “devastating” given the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
“We urge the government of Israel not to pursue this path,” the statement said. “Civilians simply have nowhere to go. »
PHOTO BLAIR GABLE, REUTERS
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
“There is a growing international consensus on this issue. Israel must listen to its friends and the international community. » “Palestinian civilians cannot be made to pay the price for the defeat of Hamas. »
The statement follows similar warnings from the United States, other Western allies and the United Nations (UN). US President Joe Biden said earlier this week that Israel should not launch a possible military operation in Rafah without a “credible” plan to ensure the safety of civilians.
The city is located along the border with Egypt, and is the only tightly controlled crossing allowing limited movement since the start of the conflict.
Justin Trudeau’s statement constitutes the strongest speech ever made by Canada on Israel’s conduct in the region, more than four months after the start of its offensive against Hamas.
The federal Liberals have been criticized, including by their own caucus, for not putting more pressure on Israel to comply with interim measures that the International Court of Justice, the UN’s highest court, has ordered last month.
The court made the ruling after deciding to hear a case brought by South Africa alleging that Israel is committing genocide by targeting Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Wednesday evening’s statement said the court ordered Israel to protect civilians and ensure access to basic services and essential humanitarian aid.
The South African government said on Tuesday it had made an “urgent request” to the UN court to determine whether an Israeli operation in Rafah constituted a violation of its interim measures.
Prime Minister Trudeau and his counterparts also maintained that a lasting ceasefire is necessary and cannot be unilateral, in addition to reiterating their condemnation of the attacks perpetrated by Hamas on October 7, which led to the escalation of tensions.
That day, fighters killed 1,200 people in a brutal attack on Israel and took about 250 hostages.
Israel responded by declaring war on Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian territory has since been subjected to almost constant bombardment and local authorities say more than 28,000 Palestinians have been killed.
Negotiation setbacks
PHOTO RONEN ZVULUN, REUTERS ARCHIVES
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
International efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas suffered a setback Wednesday as Israel reportedly recalled its negotiating team and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of obstructing peace negotiations. high stakes, sticking to “delusional” demands.
Mr. Netanyahu’s remarks came hours after local media reported that the Israeli leader had ordered an Israeli delegation not to continue negotiations in Cairo, sparking concerns about the fate of the negotiations and criticism from families of the approximately 130 remaining prisoners, around a quarter of whom are believed to have died.
Relatives of the hostages said Prime Minister Netanyahu’s decision amounted to a “death sentence.”
Mediation efforts, led by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, have brought the warring parties closer to an agreement that could secure a truce.
The parties remain very divergent on the conditions of an agreement. Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue the war until “total victory” over Hamas and insisted that strong military pressure would ensure the release of the hostages.
Hamas has argued that it will not release all prisoners until Israel ends its offensive, withdraws from Gaza and releases large numbers of Palestinian prisoners, including senior fighters.