Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a sharp response to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s remarks on the “killing of women, of children and of babies” in Gaza, saying it is Hamas and not Israel that should be held accountable.
Prime Minister Netanyahu posted on X—”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”, on account of the 7 October attacks that left 1,200 Israelis dead.
“While Israel is doing everything to keep civilians out of harm’s way, Hamas is doing everything to keep them in harm’s way,” Netanyahu added.
Netanyahu emphasised that Israel facilitates humanitarian corridors and safe zones for Gaza civilians, but Hamas obstructs their departure at gunpoint. He asserted that accountability for a double war crime, targeting civilians while using them as shields, lies with Hamas, not Israel. Netanyahu called for support from the forces of civilization in defeating what he described as Hamas’ barbarism.
Trudeau’s comments on the Gaza Strip situation came amid increasing global concern about the densely populated region. The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has resulted in a toll of over 11,000 lives in Gaza, displacing more than 1.5 million people. Heart-wrenching images of newborns placed side by side to maintain warmth due to power cuts affecting incubators have captured the world’s attention, highlighting the unfolding humanitarian crisis in the area.
Three out of 39 premature babies at Gaza’s Al Shifa hospital died after the facility ran out of fuel to power generators powering incubators.
“I urge the government of Israel to exercise maximum restraint. The world is watching, on TV, on social media—we’re hearing the testimonies of doctors, family members, survivors, kids who have lost their parents,” Trudeau said during a news conference in British Columbia. “The world is witnessing this killing of women, of children, of babies. This has to stop.” These were his toughest remarks on Israel since the war began.
