Trudeau demands probe into Gaza shootings

OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau added his voice Wednesday to the calls for an independent investigation into the shootings by Israeli soldiers on the Gaza border that killed 59 Palestinians and wounded hundreds more during Monday’s mass protests.

The prime minister said he was appalled by the shooting of a Canadian doctor who was trying to help wounded protesters in Gaza on Monday. In a statement, Trudeau described the reported use of excessive force and live ammunition as “inexcusable.”

“We are appalled that Dr. Tarek Loubani, a Canadian citizen, is among the wounded — along with so many unarmed people, including civilians, members of the media, first responders, and children,” he said. “We are engaging with Israeli officials to get to the bottom of these events.”

Loubani, an emergency physician at Ontario’s London Health Sciences Centre and at Shifa Hospital in Gaza, said he was shot in both legs on Monday even though his team wore highvisibility jackets that identified them as medical staff.

Trudeau called for a thorough examination of the possible use of excessive force and the incitement to violence. “It is imperative we establish the facts of what is happening in Gaza,” he said.

Germany, Belgium and Ireland and several UN Security Council members have also called for an investigation into Monday’s carnage. But the council has taken no action because the United States, a permanent member, says Israel acted with “restraint.”

Monday’s violence erupted as the Trump administration followed through on its campaign promise to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

Canada and its other major allies do not support the embassy move. The government says the future of the Jerusalem needs to be part of a broader negotiated settlement between the Israelis and Palestinians — a process going nowhere at the moment.

Israel and the U.S. blame the militant group Hamas for endangering civilians in Gaza by inciting them to protest — a view echoed in Canada by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, which requested an urgent meeting with Trudeau to convey its concern about his response to the violence.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland in a Twitter message said: “It is inexcusable that civilians, journalists + children have been victims. All parties to the conflict have a responsibility to ensure civilians are protected.”