The continuation of the war against Hamas could threaten international support for Israel, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
“The voices from Israel’s strongest friends, like Canada, like Australia, especially like the United States... are becoming increasingly concerned that... the short-term actions being taken by Israel are actually putting at risk the long-term safety and even support for a Jewish state into the future,” Trudeau told CBC on Thursday.
His comments follow a renewed international effort to install a sustained ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Trudeau insisted that, despite his comments, Canada’s support for Israel remains unchanged. He maintained that his country supported a two-state solution and that Hamas should not be involved in negotiations to bring about a Palestinian state.
“We’ve changed how we’ve articulated our position. But the position itself hasn’t changed,” he said. “We’ve always said that Israel has a right to defend itself in accordance with international law. We have always called for the protection of civilians.”
The prime minister did not expand on which “short-term actions” he took issue with, but did say that Israel had to “be careful on the impact on civilians.”
Many international bodies have accused Israel of violating international law based on the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry’s claims that the war has cost the lives of over 20,000 Palestinian civilians. Israel has repeatedly denied this accusation, and the statistics provided by Hamas’s ministry cannot be independently verified.
“It is our position that working towards a sustainable ceasefire requires the conditions of Hamas laying down its arms, releasing all hostages, [ending the use of] human shields and understanding that it will have no role in the future governance of Gaza,” the prime minister continued.
Butting heads over Palestinian statehood
Trudeau further insisted that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a conversation over the latter’s earlier comments that he was “proud that I prevented the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
“I very much shared with him our deep belief that Canada is unflinching – and has been for many years – that a two-state solution is the only way to move forward. That we have to have a free, secure, viable Israel, alongside a free, secure, viable Palestinian state,” Trudeau said.
“That’s a point in which I have a very clear disagreement with Prime Minister Netanyahu. But we’re going to continue to work for that two-state solution in every conversation we have.”