Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Calls for an End to the Killing of Women, Children in Gaza
OTTAWA, Nov 14 – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a passionate plea on Tuesday for an end to the “killing of women, of children, of babies” in the besieged Gaza Strip, marking his sharpest criticism of Israel since the conflict with Hamas began over a month ago.
Trudeau, who was speaking on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York, urged the government of Israel to exercise maximum restraint, stating “The world is witnessing this killing of women, of children, of babies. This has to stop.”
The Prime Minister also emphasized the need for Hamas to release all of its hostages, and to stop using Palestinians as human shields.
Canada has maintained that Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas after the Palestinian militant group attacked southern Israel last month, killing 1,400 people and taking over 200 hostages. However, Trudeau and other allies have expressed increasing concern over the mounting death toll in Gaza, where local health officials say 11,000 people have been killed since the conflict started.
Trudeau’s comments come as Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital is facing a critical situation with 36 premature babies, as they are being kept in incubators without a clear mechanism for evacuation.
Furthermore, last week Trudeau called for a significant humanitarian pause in the conflict to allow for the release of all hostages and the delivery of enough aid to address civilian needs.
Reporting by David Ljunggren, editing by Deepa Babington
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