Canada’s Trudeau tells Israel to end ‘killing of women, of children, of babies’

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called for Israel to “stop killing of women, of children, of babies” in the besieged Gaza Strip. However, he did not mention the word ceasefire.

Trudeau has received flak for his silence on civilian deaths at the hands of Israeli forces. In a video that emerged from a public meeting at Vancouver, Trudeau can be seen surrounded by protestors chanting, “Ceasefire Now”.

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In other videos, it can be seen that people were calling him out for his lack of conscience as protestors were shouting about him “having blood on his hand”

The Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau confronted by a protestor shouting "You have blood on your hands".#SOS_for_GAZA pic.twitter.com/oDLY0uRsl2

— Mani Naqvi (@ManiNaqvi5) November 12, 2023

In a conference in the western province of British Columbia Prime Minister Trudeau said, “The world is witnessing this killing of women, of children, of babies. This has to stop.” He further made his tone harder and said, “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.”

"Israel must stop ‘this killing of women, children & babies’. The world is warching" – PM Justin Trudeaupic.twitter.com/IZcrBu3bul

— Shaan (@Shanyousaf6) November 15, 2023

The statement has gained him the ire of Israel’s Netanyahu who addressed Trudeau in a post 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, the forces of civilization must back Israel in defeating Hamas barbarism.”

.@JustinTrudeau

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.

While Israel is doing everything to keep civilians out of harm’s way, Hamas is doing…

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) November 15, 2023

While Trudeau has maintained that Israel has the right to defend itself, Trudeau’s statement is seen as a major shift in the country’s stance, even though a complacent one. “The price of justice cannot be the continued suffering of all Palestinian civilians,” Trudeau said on Tuesday. “All wars have rules. All innocent life has equal worth. Israeli and Palestinian.”

Last week, Trudeau called for a significant humanitarian pause in the conflict to allow for the release of all hostages and the delivery of enough aid to address civilian needs in Gaza.

After France’s Macron, he has become the second leader from the West to call out Israel as a major shift of stance.