P.M. Trudeau to investigate the reports of Canadian killed, calls for the release of hostages after Hamas attack on Israel
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling for the release of all hostages taken in the Hamas attack against Israel, a demand issued on Sunday that came as the federal government announced it was investigating reports a Canadian has been killed in the conflict and two were being held captive.
A day after the violence began, Mr. Trudeau outlined his concerns in a written statement, denouncing the “terrible attacks in the strongest possible terms,” and saying that Canada backs Israel’s right to defend itself in accordance with international law.
“We call for the immediate release of those being held hostage and demand they be treated in accordance with international law,” he said. “We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and we are in touch with our international partners to restore peace and security in the region.”
Mr. Trudeau added that Canada is lighting the Peace Tower in blue and white – Israel’s colours – and lowered the flags on the Peace Tower, at the Prime Minister’s Office and across Parliament Hill.
The Prime Minister also on Sunday convened the Incident Response Group, an emergency committee made up of ministers and senior officials, to discuss Hamas’ attacks on Israel.
Also Sunday, Mr. Trudeau’s office confirmed that he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A summary of the conversation said Mr. Trudeau unequivocally condemned Hamas’ large-scale attacks against Israel and expressed his deep condolences to Mr. Netanyahu for the hundreds of lives lost. Mr. Trudeau also spoke with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheik Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and King Abdullah of Jordan.
Global Affairs Canada said it is investigating reports that a Canadian has been killed amidst the conflict in Israel, but provided no details on the situation beyond adding, in a written statement, that it is also aware of reports that two Canadians are missing.
“The government of Canada’s first priority is always the safety and security of its citizens. For this reason, we will not comment on or release any information which may compromise ongoing efforts or endanger the safety of Canadians,” said the statement.
Reports of missing Canadians include peace activist and humanitarian Vivian Silver, who originally hails from Winnipeg. In a post on the social-media platform X, former federal justice minister Irwin Cotler said Ms. Silver is being held hostage in Gaza.
Mr. Cotler, an international human-rights lawyer, said Ms. Silver was violently taken from her home in Kibbutz Be’eri in Israel.
“A civilian focused on peacebuilding and helping women and children, Vivian’s captivity is yet another heinous Hamas war crime. All Canadians and people of conscience around the world should be calling for her release and condemning Hamas criminality. Thinking of her family,” he wrote.
According to an online biography, Ms. Silver is a grandmother of two who has lived in Israel since 1974. She helped to launch Women Wage Peace, a group that seeks to bring about a political agreement in the Middle East with the full participation of women. In a post on the group’s website from August, 2018, Ms. Silver said she is driven by “an intense desire for security and a life of mutual respect and freedom for both our peoples.”
“The thought of yet another war drives me mad. Like the last three, it will not resolve the conflict. It will only bring more dead and wounded,” she wrote.
In 1998, Ms. Silver also became executive director of Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development in Beer Sheva, a non-governmental organization that promotes a shared society between Arabs and Jews.
In the blog post, Ms. Silver said she spent much time in Gaza in those years and continued to work with organizations in the West Bank. “That’s why it especially infuriates me when people claim: ‘We have no partner on the other side!’ I personally know so many Palestinians who yearn for peace no less than we do,” she wrote.
Bob Rae, Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations, wrote on X on Sunday that he was thinking of Ms. Silver and her family, adding, “There are too many others.”
Adi Vital Kaploun, a Canadian-Israeli mother of two with roots in Ottawa, was also abducted by Hamas on the weekend, according to the Centre for Jewish and Israel Affairs. The Canadian-based advocacy group said in a social-media post Sunday that Ms. Vital Kaploun’s young sons were found by a friend near the border with Gaza and taken back to Israel, but she is believed to be held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. The CJIA later took down the post.
Some Canadians reported being stuck in Israel after flights were cancelled, with difficulty reaching the Canadian embassy in Tel Aviv, owing to Thanksgiving long-weekend hours.
The federal government said consular officials were available to provide services to Canadians requesting assistance and told citizens to contact Global Affairs Canada’s emergency watch response centre.
Canada’s ambassador to Israel, Lisa Stadelbauer, said on X that embassy staff are “hard at work” to provide support and services to Canadians in need, but she recommended people contact headquarters in Ottawa for the fastest response.
Pierre Cuguen, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, said late Sunday that Canadian officials have been working around the clock to support Canadians and the missions in Tel Aviv and Ramallah remained operational throughout the weekend. He said they will be open on Monday “unless security conditions do not allow for it,” and that Canada is assessing the security situation daily.
B’nai Brith Canada expressed concerns Sunday about rallies being planned across the country by a Palestinian group that supports Hamas. Stephanie Sayer, a spokeswoman for the Toronto Police Service, said the force is aware of potential demonstrations planned for Toronto on Monday and officers will be on site for safety reasons.
“While TPS will be present to ensure lawful demonstrations, we want to be very clear that we will not tolerate any intimidation, harassment, or hate-motivated behaviour aimed at specific communities,” Ms. Sayer said in an e-mail.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, on Sunday, condemned the proposed demonstrations.
“The hate rallies celebrating the kidnapping and slaughtering of innocent Israeli people by terrorists are reprehensible and disgusting. They have no place in Ontario,” he said on social media.
A pro-Hamas protest in Montreal on Sunday was similarly condemned by politicians.
Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said on X: “There is no place for glorification of terror in Canada (or anywhere else.) Hamas’ murder and rape of innocent civilians is despicable.”
Israel’s ambassador-designate to Canada, Iddo Moed, said in an interview that, more than anything amid the crisis, his country is seeking Canada’s moral support.
He also said he hopes Canada and other members of the international community will be vigilant about supporters of terrorism in the Middle East, notably Iran, Lebanon and Syria.
“This horrific attack really requires several things. One is solidarity and support of the Canadian population as a group, and I think this is coming up, and showing very, very well from the government,” he said.
Mona Abuamara, chief representative of the Palestinian General Delegation to Canada, said in a statement that Israel is “fully responsible for this situation because it insists on keeping the Palestinian people captive and stripping them of their rights for over half a century.”
This article was reported by The Globe and Mail
