Hitting a hospital in Gaza ‘not acceptable,’ Trudeau says
The bombing of a hospital in Gaza was “absolutely unacceptable,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday, as federal officials confirmed Canada stands ready in Egypt to help people in the besieged territory get out amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.
Hundreds of Palestinians were killed when a rocket hit a Gaza City hospital where many were sheltering. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry blamed the blast on an Israeli airstrike, while Israel’s military said after Trudeau’s remarks that the strike was a result of a misfire by Palestinian militants.
Earlier in the day, Trudeau called the situation “absolutely unacceptable.” Speaking in French, he told reporters that “it’s not legal” to bomb a hospital.
“The news coming out of Gaza is horrific,” the prime minister said. “International humanitarian and international law needs to be respected in this and in all cases. There are rules around wars and it’s not acceptable to hit a hospital.”
News of the bombing came as conditions in Gaza are rapidly deteriorating. International aid organizations are warning of an impending collapse as Israel continues to block water, fuel and food from coming into the region.
Canada is among countries working to get a humanitarian corridor established to see that humanitarian aid like medical supplies and staff can enter the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen said Tuesday that international aid organizations can only operate “in an environment of trust.” Canada has pledged $10 million worth of aid, which the government says is directed at United Nations agencies and the Red Cross.
Earlier in the day, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said it is also time for Canadians living in Lebanon to leave while the option to take a commercial flight still exists.
Canadian officials said they are worried about the war between Israel and Hamas expanding into a larger regional conflict — a concern that has been amplified as Hezbollah fighters clash with the Israeli military across their shared border.
So far, 1,350 Canadians have left Israel through military airlifts. In some cases, Canadians who were offered a place did not take the government up on it.
Sunday acknowledged that leaving is a difficult choice to make, while Joly said earlier in the day that if Canadians in Israel qualify for a spot, they should take it.
On Tuesday, she also offered condolences to the family of Tiferet Lapidot. She said the woman was one of three Canadians reported missing after Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,400 people.