The Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs recalled that an invasion by Israel of the town of Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, remained “totally unacceptable” for Canada and she hopes that the ceasefire talks will take away.
Israeli officials announced Monday that the country had approved a military operation in this border town with Egypt, and Israeli forces began striking targets in the area.
The move came hours after Hamas announced it had accepted a ceasefire proposal submitted by Egypt and Qatar. But Israel believes that this proposal does not meet its essential demands.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Tuesday morning in Ottawa that the situation in the Palestinian territory was “absolutely catastrophic.” She added that the vast majority of Rafah residents had already been displaced and had nowhere to go.
Israel also took control of the Rafah border crossing and the flow of humanitarian aid from Egypt was cut off.
International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen said Canada had always advised against the Israeli operation in Rafah and was very disappointed that it happened.
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