Palestinians and foreign aid workers wait to cross into Egypt at Rafah, Gaza Strip, on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Fatima Shbair
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says newly agreed-upon “humanitarian pauses” to temporarily end fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip must last long enough for people to leave the area and for aid to arrive.
The White House says that Israel has agreed to put in place four-hour daily humanitarian pauses in its assault on Hamas in northern Gaza, beginning today.
U.S. President Joe Biden says the move came after he urged that Israel cease bombardment for three or more days in the hopes that Hamas would release hostages, but he says there was “no possibility” of a ceasefire.
Trudeau told reporters today that the pauses could create an opportunity to think about how Israelis and Palestinians could live beside each other in peace in the longer term.
A key crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt was reported closed earlier today as hundreds of people connected to Canada awaited news of when – and whether – they would be able to escape the besieged Palestinian territory.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is expected to speak with reporters today, following meetings with her G7 peers in Tokyo, which had a large focus on the Middle East.
The federal government had confirmed that no Canadians were able to leave the Gaza Strip on Wednesday because of a closure of the Rafah border crossing.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson told reporters on Wednesday that the closure was because of a “security circumstance,” but offered little additional detail.
A daily list of those allowed to cross that had been published in recent days by the General Authority for Crossings and Borders in Gaza was not available Thursday morning.
Global Affairs Canada said Canadian officials in Egypt remained ready to welcome those leaving the territory and help them get to Cairo.
Those coming from Gaza are allowed to stay in Egypt for up to three days, and the Canadian government is providing them with accommodation and basic essentials during that time.
On Tuesday, 75 Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their families were the first people connected to Canada to leave the territory since the war between Israel and Hamas began a month ago.
Early Thursday morning, some Canadian evacuees arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport after fleeing through Rafah and boarding a 12-hour flight to Canada from Cairo.
A couple in their 50s embraced their son, who was waiting for them at the arrivals area. The family then quickly left the airport, headed for their home in London, Ont.
The Gaza Strip has been bombarded by thousands of Israeli airstrikes since Hamas militants stormed through the Gaza border on Oct. 7.
Israel’s government says those surprise attacks killed 1,400 Israelis and another 240 people were taken hostage.
The Health Ministry in Gaza, which has been governed by Hamas since 2007, has put the Palestinian death toll above 10,500 people, and it reports that more than 4,000 of them were children. Canada has listed Hamas as a terrorist organization since 2002.
A worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, which has been largely cut off from the delivery of aid, has prompted prominent international aid organizations to call for a ceasefire and for food, water and medical supplies to be allowed to enter the region.
U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that the first humanitarian pause would be announced Thursday and that the Israelis had committed to announcing each four-hour window at least three hours in advance.
Israel, he said, also was opening a second corridor for civilians to flee the areas that are the current focus of its military campaign against Hamas, with a coastal road joining the territory’s main north-south highway.
Trudeau told reporters Thursday morning near Montreal that Canada had been seeking such a development.
“We’ve been calling for weeks now for humanitarian pauses,” he said.
“They need to be significant; they need to last long enough to get people out (and) to get supplies in. And we have to start using them to start thinking about what the medium term and long term is.”
Trudeau said that involves “a Jewish state of Israel” alongside “a viable Palestinian state “¦ where they are both secure; where they are both able to protect their citizens and flourish.”
He said Canada would help in those efforts at a two-state solution.
Federal officials have said there are more than 400 Canadians, permanent residents and their families in Gaza and that Canada has no direct control over the evacuation from the enclave.
Global Affairs Canada has also warned the situation is unpredictable and subject to rapid change.
“Canada does not determine when or how many persons can cross each day,” it said in a statement late Wednesday afternoon.
“As the situation is quite fluid and unpredictable, Canadians should be prepared for significant delays and unexpected closures at the Rafah border. Canada continues to engage all relevant parties to ensure that Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their eligible family members presently in Gaza can exit safely and promptly.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2023.
– With files from the Associated Press.
