Israel’s ambassador to Canada accused Ottawa of moving from its historic support for Israel after Canadian cabinet ministers condemned Israeli military actions in Lebanon and Gaza and called for a ceasefire.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen issued a statement on Oct. 16 criticizing Israeli forces for their increased military actions in northern Gaza and along the demarcation line with Lebanon known as the “Blue Line.”
Israel has been engaged in military conflicts on the fronts following attacks from the terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which are backed by Iran.
“Canada condemns the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) increasing attacks on civilian infrastructure in northern Gaza as well as its attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon [UNIFIL] positions along the Blue line,“ the ministers said. ”These are unacceptable and must immediately stop.”
In response, Israel’s Ambassador to Canada Iddo Moed said on the X platform that the Liberal government is disregarding Israel’s right to defend itself as it is attacked on multiple fronts. He also highlighted the lack of criticism regarding the terrorist groups’ use of the civilian population in Gaza and Lebanon as human shields.
“There was a time when Canada was seen as having a positive role to play in helping build peace and security in my country’s region,” Moed wrote in the Oct. 16 statement. “Unfortunately, today’s joint announcement by ministers Hussen and Joly is part of a recent shift that stands in contrast to the important contributions of previous generations of Canadian statesmen and women.”
The statement continued, “At a time of great instability and violence in many regions around the world, Canada and Israel should be working together to uphold our values as liberal democracies and defend our citizens.”
Disputes
The UNIFIL, which comprises roughly 10,000 peacekeepers stationed along the Blue Line, has criticized the IDF for its recent military actions near the border south of Lebanon. Israel announced the operations on Oct. 1, saying they’re aimed at dismantling Hezbollah’s capabilities and infrastructure that pose a threat to Israeli civilian communities in northern Israel.On Oct. 13, UNIFIL reported that two IDF tanks destroyed the main gate of a U.N. position in southern Lebanon and crossed into Lebanese territory. It said that hours later, peacekeepers suffered from skin irritation and other adverse reactions due to smoke from shots fired nearby. UNIFIL did not say who fired the shots that affected the U.N. peacekeepers.
On that same day, Hezbollah launched a drone attack on an Israeli army base, killing four Israeli soldiers and injuring 60 others. The attack followed a barrage of 8,000 missiles fired by the terrorist group at Israel’s northern city of Haifa in the days prior.
Israeli Iron Dome air defence system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, as seen from Haifa, northern Israel, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. AP Photo/Baz Ratner
The UNIFIL statement did not mention Hezbollah’s drone attack on Israel.
On Oct. 16, the UNFIL further accused Israeli forces of deliberately firing on a UNIFIL position, reporting that IDF tanks destroyed its watchtower at a location near Kafer Kela, another village in southern Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied allegations that Israel deliberately attacked UNIFIL personnel. He said Hezbollah uses UNIFIL facilities and positions as cover while it attacks Israeli cities and communities.
“Israel is not fighting UNIFIL. It’s not fighting the people of Lebanon. It is fighting Iran’s proxy Hezbollah, which uses Lebanese territory to attack Israel,” he said in a statement on Oct. 14. “Hezbollah attacked Israel last year without any provocation on October 8th, a day after the Hamas massacre, and it’s continued to attack us ever since by launching over 10,000 rockets and missiles at Israel.”
Hamas
The Hamas attack on Israel last October resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1,200 people, including seven Canadians, while over 200 others were taken hostage. Israel subsequently declared war on Hamas and fighting has continued since, with Hezbollah and Iran becoming involved in the conflict.The Canadian cabinet ministers criticized Israel’s recent airstrikes in Gaza, including one that struck Al-Aqsa Hospital, killing three and injuring about 50 others, and another that killed at least 20 people at a school in Nuseirat.
On Oct. 17, IDF announced the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip. Sinwar was recognized as a key architect of Hamas’s attack on Israel last October. IDF spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari highlighted that 101 hostages remain captive under Hamas.
“We’ve said: our war is with Hamas, not with the people of Gaza, and we mean it,” he said in a video posted on X. “We are working to increase the amount of humanitarian aid, including food, water, and medicine that goes into Gaza, to the people of Gaza, who are suffering because of Yahya Sinwar.”
Yahya Sinwar attends a rally in Gaza City on Oct. 1, 2022. Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the killing of Sinwar as the end of “a reign of terror.”
“Hamas must lay down its arms, release the hostages, and play no future role in the governance of Gaza. We repeat our call for an immediate ceasefire. The suffering in Gaza must end,” Trudeau wrote in a post on X.
