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Open in full screen mode The prime minister strongly emphasized the importance of protecting civilians in the war between Israel and Hamas. (File photo) The Canadian Press Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with Benny Gantz, a member of the Israeli war cabinet, to affirm Canada's support for Israel and “its right to defend itself in accordance with international law,” Mr. Trudeau's office said Thursday. In a summary of Wednesday evening's call, the Prime Minister's Office said Mr. Trudeau strongly emphasized the importance of taking all possible measures to protect civilians and minimize casualties in the war between Israel and Hamas. Mr. Gantz released his own summary of the call on X on Thursday morning. He wrote that the Canadian prime minister conveyed to me his long-standing support for the State of Israel and to Israel's right to self-defense. We discussed the development of the war in Gaza, the atrocity Hamas terrorist attack and efforts to immediately release hostages held in Gaza, Gantz said. Both statements also note that the two discussed concerns about rising anti-Semitism and spoke about Hamas, which Canada recognizes as a terrorist organization that uses civilians as human shields in the Gaza Strip. Consult the complete file Consult the complete file FollowFollow Prime Minister Trudeau reiterated Canada's support for the right of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace, dignity and security, and reaffirmed the Canada's continued support for a two-state solution, reads the statement from Mr. Trudeau's office. The conversation with Gantz came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly responded to Trudeau's strong comments urging Israel to exercise maximum restraint to preserve civilian lives. I have made it clear that the price of justice cannot be the continued suffering of all Palestinian civilians. Even wars have rules, Mr. Trudeau said Tuesday in Vancouver. The world is witnessing this. The killing of women, children, babies. In response, Mr. Netanyahu posted a message on ;Israel does everything to keep civilians out of danger, Hamas does everything to keep them in danger, he wrote. It's x27;It is Hamas, not Israel, that should be held accountable for committing a dual war crime: targeting civilians while hiding behind civilians.
Middle East, the eternal conflict
Middle East, the eternal conflict
Injured people are taken to hospital after a strike in Khan Yunis, near Gaza, on November 15, 2023.
The current conflict began on the 7 October, when Hamas militants killed 1,200 Israelis in brutal surprise attacks. The attackers also took around 240 people hostage, taking them to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
In response, Israel declared war on Hamas, then launched a campaign of airstrikes and cut off food, fuel, water and supplies to Gaza, home to 2.3 million Palestinians. p>
Territory health officials say more than 11,470 people have been killed, two-thirds of them women and children. In addition to this number, 2,700 people are missing, believed to be buried under the rubble left by the airstrikes. The official count does not differentiate between civilian deaths and militant deaths. Israel, for its part, claims to have killed thousands of militants.
Canadians waited several days to leave the Gaza Strip for Egypt through the Rafah border crossing. (File photo)
Foreign nationals attempt to flee the besieged territory through the Rafah border post, which allows entry into the country. enter Egypt.
However, none of the 386 people linked to Canada trying to leave the territory were able to enter Egypt on Thursday. The General Authority for Crossings and Borders published the latest list of people authorized to leave the Gaza Strip on its Facebook page early this morning and it did not include any Canadians.
Global Affairs Canada said Thursday that 367 Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their family members have been able to leave Gaza so far, including nine who left without government assistance.
Two people were able to leave on Wednesday and ten made the trip on Monday. The Canadian government said it could not determine how many people could cross the border each day.
Internet and telephone services collapsed across the Gaza Strip on Thursday due to lack of fuel, the main Palestinian provider said.
Even in #x27;communications interruption, we are attempting to contact Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their eligible family members through all available channels and we also remain in contact with their loved ones in Canada, Global Affairs said in a statement, Thursday.
At the same time, Israel has signaled that its offensive against Hamas could next target the south of the territory, where most of the population has taken refuge.
If the assault moves south, it's unclear where the people will go, as Egypt refuses to move south. authorize a massive transfer on its soil.
The international community – including Israel's closest ally, the United States – has expressed growing concern over the number of civilian deaths. The United States did not ask Israel to end the war, but it warned Israelis that international criticism would intensify the longer the war lasted.
Thursday, for a second day in a row, Israeli troops searched Al-Shifa hospital, in the north of the territory, looking for traces of Hamas.
They showed weapons they said were hidden in a building, but have not yet disclosed proof of the existence of a central Hamas command center that Israel claims is hidden beneath the hospital complex. Hamas and staff at the hospital, Gaza's largest, deny the allegations.