(Ottawa) Canada, Australia and New Zealand are calling for a “lasting ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas. This is the first time, since the start of the war, on October 7, that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has used this term.
“We hope that the cessation of hostilities will be restored and we support the urgent efforts of the international community to achieve a lasting ceasefire,” read a joint statement from the prime ministers of the three countries.
“This ceasefire cannot be unilateral. Hamas must release all hostages, stop using Palestinian civilians as human shields and lay down their arms,” it was also written in this press release published Tuesday.
Prime Ministers Justin Trudeau and his counterparts Anthony Albanese of Australia and Christopher Luxon of New Zealand say they recognize “Israel’s right to exist and defend itself” in accordance with international humanitarian law.
“Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected. We are gravely concerned by the reduction of the security zone reserved for civilians in Gaza. The price to pay for defeating Hamas cannot be the continued suffering of all Palestinian civilians,” they argue.
The trio of leaders also maintain that “there is no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza”, and pledge to work to “establish a just and lasting peace based on a two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians can live in safety within internationally recognized borders.”
Canada, Australia and New Zealand form, with the United States and the United Kingdom, the Five Eyes security alliance.
At the United Nations Security Council last Friday, the United States used its veto to block a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, while the United Kingdom abstained. The other 13 member countries supported the resolution.