Tuesday, December 12, 2023

Trudeau seeks ‘sustainable ceasefire’ in Gaza alongside Australia, New Zealand PMs

OTTAWA
THE CANADIAN PRESS
PUBLISHED 1 HOUR AGO
People search through the rubble of damaged buildings following an Israeli air strike on Palestinian houses, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, on Dec. 12, 2023
STAFF/REUTERS

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Israel and Hamas must work toward “a sustainable ceasefire,” starting with another pause in hostilities.

The comment comes in a joint statement with Trudeau’s Australian and New Zealand counterparts, hours ahead of a United Nations vote on whether to call for a ceasefire in the Middle East.

The statement calls for Hamas to release the hostages from its “heinous” Oct. 7 attack on Israel, and notes the group is responsible for sexual violence and “using Palestinian civilians as human shields.”

The leaders are also calling for “safe and unimpeded humanitarian access” to the Gaza Strip and for Israel to stop its siege of the territory.

The statement says Hamas cannot be allowed to govern Gaza, while adding that Israel cannot reoccupy the territory nor displace Palestinians.

The leaders also want another multi-day truce like one last month that allowed the flow of humanitarian aid and the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

Meanwhile, advocates for those hostages are on Parliament Hill today to press the government to impose sanctions on individual members of Hamas.


Australia, Canada, New Zealand back efforts towards Gaza ceasefire -statement
ReutersDecember 12, 2023


Palestinians gather outside Nasser hospital following Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Khan Younis, December 12, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa Acquire Licensing Rights

OTTAWA, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Canada, Australia and New Zealand support urgent international efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza, the prime ministers of the three countries said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

"We are alarmed at the diminishing safe space for civilians in Gaza. The price of defeating Hamas cannot be the continuous suffering of all Palestinian civilians," they said in the statement.

A ceasefire cannot be one-sided and Hamas must release all hostages and stop using Palestinian civilians as human shields, they added.

Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by David Ljunggren

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