Canadian politicians condemned an unprecedented Saturday attack Hamas militants waged on Israel that is being called the deadliest in the country in years.Hours after the militants fired thousands of rockets and sent dozens of fighters to infiltrate the heavily fortified border by air, land and sea, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Canada strongly condemns the attacks and called for civilian life to be protected.
“These acts of violence are completely unacceptable. We stand with Israel and fully support its right to defend itself,” Trudeau wrote in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.At least 70 people have been killed and hundreds have been injured, Israel’s national rescue service said Saturday. The Israeli military struck targets in Gaza in response to some 2,500 rockets that sent air raid sirens wailing constantly as far north as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, some 80 kilometres away.
The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said at least 198 people have been killed and at least 1,610 wounded in the territory in Israel’s retaliation after the attack which caught the country off guard on a major Jewish holiday.
The attacks pushed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare the country is now at “at war” in a televised address, where he announced a mass army mobilization and vowed to inflict an “unprecedented price.”His declaration and the overseas violence were being watched in Canadian, where some police forces upped their presence at mosques and synagogues and politicians called for peace.
“I unequivocally condemn the invasion of Israel by Hamas terrorists and the sadistic violence they have subsequently carried out against innocent civilians,” said Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, said in a statement. “Canadians pledge their solidarity with all the victims.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly posted on X condemning “the multi-front terror attack,” as did NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who called for hostages to be immediately released.“We fear what the coming days will bring. Terrorism and violence solve nothing,” Singh said.
Global Affairs Canada said in a statement Saturday at roughly 2 p.m. Eastern that “there are currently no signaled Canadian casualties or injuries.”Roughly 1,418 Canadians are registered as being in Israel, with 492 registered as being in the Palestinian territories.