Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is still ruling out the possibility of Canada calling for a full ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, but he calls the agreement to temporarily suspend hostilities this week so that Hamas can free hostages.
Mr. Trudeau said Friday that the world needs lasting peace in the Middle East, including a “two-state solution.” He added that this process will require many steps, but that the humanitarian pause initiated on Friday was already progress.
The Prime Minister made the comments Friday during a news conference in St. John’s, where the Canada-European Union Summit is being held.
Militant group Hamas on Friday freed 24 hostages held after seven weeks of captivity — 13 Israeli women and children, 10 people from Thailand and one from the Philippines.
The hostages were all captured on October 7 during Hamas attacks on Israel, which left around 1,200 Israelis dead. Officials in Ottawa confirmed this week that a Canadian woman remains missing.
The pause in fighting provides a respite for some 1.7 million people who the United Nations says have been displaced as part of Israel’s retaliatory campaign in the Gaza Strip. Local health authorities, under Hamas, say 13,300 Palestinians have been killed and another 6,000 people are missing.
To watch on video