(Ottawa) Canada supports the idea of a “humanitarian pause” between Israel and Hamas, Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday. No question, however, of demanding a ceasefire, he specified.
“We must remain anchored on the priority of protecting the innocent, freeing the hostages […] and we are open to and support the idea of a humanitarian pause to allow access to necessary resources for civilians,” he declared at the start of question period on Tuesday afternoon.
“No ceasefire,” he specified as he rushed into the House of Commons.
The Prime Minister thus supports the proposal of the United Nations and that of European countries such as France.
He also supports the idea put forward the day before by the Bloc Québécois.
Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet had earlier accused Justin Trudeau of lacking “leadership” since he has failed to reconcile the twenty or so of his deputies who are calling for a ceasefire and those who, like Minister Bill Blair, did, go further by evoking the need to “eliminate” Hamas.
PHOTO JUSTIN TANG, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
“We must be able to reach consensus within the caucuses, and within Parliament,” argued Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet regarding the war between Israel. and Hamas.
The leader of the Bloc Québécois – a group of which no elected official signed the letter demanding a ceasefire which was sent to Justin Trudeau last Friday – argued on Tuesday that a political caucus could not display division on an issue of ‘such importance.
“There is this letter, and, on the other hand, there is the Minister of Defense [Bill Blair] who goes so far as to use a rather harsh word, [c’est-à-dire] eliminate Hamas,” illustrated Chief Blanchet during a press briefing in the foyer of the House of Commons.
“It is necessary that within the caucuses, and within Parliament, we must be able to reach consensus,” he argued, saying he was more comfortable with terms such as “defuse, uproot, render inoperative” Hamas.
The Bloc leader also claimed that this lack of leadership was also reflected in the fact that Justin Trudeau had not spoken to President Joe Biden since the start of the war, which is erroneous – the Canadian and the American exchanged at telephone with other allies on Sunday.
Neither the Prime Minister nor Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly used the word “destroy” or “eliminate” to describe the fate that should be reserved for the terrorist group Hamas.