“The human tragedy that is unfolding in Gaza is heart-wrenching, especially the suffering we see in and around the Al Shifa Hospital,” said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday in Maple Ridge, B.C.
“I have been clear that the price of justice cannot be the continued suffering of all Palestinian civilians. Even wars have rules.
“All innocent life is equal in worth, Israeli and Palestinian. I urge the government of Israel to exercise maximum restraint. The world is watching on TV and social media.
“We’re hearing the testimonies of doctors, family members, survivors, kids who have lost their parents,” said Trudeau. “The world is witnessing this killing of women, of children, of babies. This has to stop.”
Trudeau was appearing alongside B.C. Premier David Eby at a media conference, which was primarily about announcing the billion-dollar E-One Moli lithium-ion battery cell production plant.
A reply from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was posted about two hours after Trudeau’s remarks circulated on social media:
“It is not Israel that is deliberately targeting civilians but Hamas that beheaded, burned and massacred civilians in the worst horrors perpetrated on Jews since the Holocaust,” replied Netanyahu.
“While Israel is doing everything to keep civilians out of harm’s way, Hamas is doing everything to keep them in harm’s way. Israel provides civilians in Gaza humanitarian corridors and safe zones, Hamas prevents them from leaving at gunpoint.
“It is Hamas not Israel that should be held accountable for committing a double war crime—targeting civilians while hiding behind civilians.
“The forces of civilization must back Israel in defeating Hamas barbarism.”
