UK, France, And Canada Threaten To Pull Support For Israel
Photo Credit: Yahoo News
The United Kingdom, France, and Canada have collectively condemned Israel’s expansion of military operations across Gaza. Through a joint statement, the three countries have threatened to take further “concrete actions,” if Israel does not lift their restrictions on humanitarian aid.
The statement released on May 19 also called on the Israeli Government “to stop its military operations in Gaza” as well as to “immediately allow humanitarian aid” into Gaza. These countries have also called on Hamas to release “the remaining hostages they have so cruelly held” since October 2023.
Though they have shown support for Israel in the past, these countries pulled their support shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans of “taking control of all of Gaza,” as reported by The Guardian. Canada, France, and the UK’s response to this came through their statement, where they declared that they were against “any attempt to expand settlements in the West Bank.” It also stated they jointly agreed Israel’s actions were “egregious” and “wholly disproportionate.”
On May 24, a large supply of food parcels were delivered to hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza City by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The New York Times reported that since this organization is approved by Israel, the United Nations warned that this system could “facilitate an Israeli plan to displace civilians out of northern Gaza.”
However, Israel claimed that Hamas terrorists have been stealing the aid, and this new system was set to “prevent food from falling into militants’ hands.”
As reported by The Times, Jake Wood, then-executive director of the organization, said the system is “imperfect,” but, “any food getting into Gaza today is more food that got into Gaza yesterday.” Wood also shared his organization was not being funded by Israel. In a recent interview, he assured that he would never participate in IDF or Israeli government plans to “forcibly dislocate people in Gaza.”
According to Global News, Israel has released a travel alert to Canada, noting a “potential threat level” against Israelis. Israel’s National Security Council released the warning due to threats made by “terrorists against Israelis and Jews in Canada.” Several unrelated anti-Semitic incidents have since occurred, targeting Jewish people and communities.
As reported by CTV News, on May 25, Toronto police arrested 57-year-old Tarek Ibrahem for allegedly shouting anti-Semitic slurs at the Walk with Israel event. He was charged with causing a disturbance and mischief.
A suspect identified as Basel Al-Sukhon was also arrested for allegedly posting “several hate-motivated death threats against the Israeli community,” according to a media release from the Toronto Police Service. He was charged with uttering threats and indecent communication.
On May 25, police started another investigation, requesting the public’s help to identify a suspect who committed hate-motivated vandalism of a synagogue in Toronto. Photos of the suspect were released, but his name is still currently unknown.
Israeli citizens planning to travel to Canada, or those who are currently residing there, were advised by Israel’s National Security Council to “avoid displaying Jewish and Israeli symbols in public and remain extra vigilant.”
On the other hand, The Royal Canadian Mountain Police (RCMP) has begun to investigate alleged war crimes in Gaza. The Times of Israel reported that the RCMP has started a “structural investigation” aiming to hold war criminals accountable for their actions. Though it is unknown what events triggered the investigation, the RCMP said they begin an investigation “when there is evidence that war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide have occurred.” However, these cases are rare to end up in a Canadian court, since they usually depend on ”a specific immigration community in Canada.”
As reported by The Times, on June 13, Israeli fighter drones have “unleashed destruction and death” across parts of Iran. These strikes prompted a “barrage of missiles” from Iran, which has resulted in at least two deaths in Israel and dozens of injuries. The Times calls this “the most intense fighting between two countries” in decades. This could potentially draw in major military powers, such as the United States.
As of June 13, After Canada’s National Security Council received an update on the Israel-Iran strikes, Prime Minister Mark Carney has released a statement on X. Iran’s nuclear program has long been “a cause of grave concern” and attacks across Israel are currently threatening “regional peace” Canada now “reaffirms Israel’s right to defend itself” and hopes to ensure it’s security.