Israel makes it difficult to achieve stability in the Middle East, says Trudeau

(Ottawa) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday that Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip, aimed at eliminating Hamas militants from the Palestinian territory, were making it difficult to achieve long-term stability in the region.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the APEC summit in San Francisco, Trudeau said the path to a “sustainable two-state solution” was becoming more difficult “with all the difficulties the Palestinians are going through.”

Asked about this, Mr. Trudeau also reiterated his call for Israel to show “utmost restraint” — a phrase he used on Tuesday and which drew a rebuke from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Friday, Mr. Trudeau said that during his conversation Thursday with Benny Gantz, a member of the Israeli war cabinet, he had highlighted Canada’s “deep concern” about what the United Nations called a “humanitarian catastrophe that will hitting millions of people in the days and weeks to come” and is already affecting many people.

The conversation with Mr. Gantz took place a day after the row with Benjamin Netanyahu, sparked by Mr. Trudeau’s urging Israel to stop “the killing of women, children and babies” in the besieged Palestinian territory.

Mr. Trudeau said he had “long-standing disagreements with Prime Minister Netanyahu on the need for a two-state solution, on our condemnation of (illegal) settlements,” but noted that this has long been the Canadian policy towards the Middle East.

“While we absolutely must see the release of the hostages and a conviction and bringing to justice of the Hamas terrorists, we must also move toward peace and stability in the region, and that means protecting civilian life; this means providing the necessary aid, medicine and water to Gaza,” Mr. Trudeau argued on Friday.

The Prime Minister also said he was troubled by “the angry reactions of Canadians” against each other since the outbreak of this new war between Israel and Hamas. He mentioned in particular Jewish schools targeted by nighttime shootings and acts of Islamophobia.

The conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, for his part estimated that Hamas will never accept a ceasefire. The opposition leader believes that Hamas will continue to want to perpetrate “genocide” against Israelis and “oppress the population of Gaza.”

Mr. Poilievre also argued that the Canadian government needs to crack down harder on people in Canada who are linked to the Iranian regime, because of the ties between Tehran and Hamas, which Canada considers a terrorist entity.

Nine more people crossed into Egypt

Furthermore, according to figures from the Global Affairs Canada update on Friday, nine other people linked to Canada were able to leave the Gaza Strip for Egypt. According to the agency, 376 Canadians, permanent residents and their eligible family members have crossed into Egypt through the Rafah border crossing so far.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Canadian government indicated that it was in contact with 386 people still present in the besieged territory. Global Affairs has since stopped reporting the number of Canadians in Gaza, instead publishing a combined figure with those in the West Bank.

This new Middle East conflict began on October 7, when Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in surprise attacks in Israel, including hundreds of civilians in their homes and at an outdoor music festival. Around 240 people were also taken hostage by Hamas fighters.

Israel declared war on Hamas and launched a massive offensive through airstrikes and ground operations. Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has cut off food, fuel and water supplies to Gaza, home to 2.3 million Palestinians.

Health officials in Hamas-controlled territory say more than 11,470 people have been killed so far, two-thirds of them women and children, and another 2,700 people are missing.