Canada ‘deeply concerned by catastrophic impact' of Israeli attacks on Gaza population

WASHINGTON

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed deep concern Wednesday about the effect of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.

He said the ongoing suffering of Palestinian civilians cannot be an acceptable cost for justice.

"We, of course, continue to unequivocally condemn Hamas's abhorrent terrorism and Israel has the right to defend itself but the price of justice cannot be the continued suffering of all Palestinian civilians," Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa.

"We are deeply concerned by the catastrophic impact on the population in Gaza, particularly among children, which is why we are calling for humanitarian aid and water and fuel to flow into Gaza," he said. "We're calling on humanitarian pauses to allow that to happen."

The prime minister added that Canada is advocating for the release of hostages by Hamas and the facilitation of aid, with a call for Canadians and their families to safely leave Gaza through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

The Israeli army has expanded its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

More than 10,300 people have since been killed in the conflict, including at least 8,796 Palestinians and more than 1,538 Israelis.

Besides the large number of casualties and displacement, basic supplies are running low for the 2.3 million residents in Gaza due to the Israeli siege.