Canada stops arms shipments to Israel

Canada is halting its arms shipments to Israel, a Canadian government source told the media on Tuesday. The country will halt future arms sales to Israel following a non-binding vote in the House of Commons.

The foreign affairs minister, Mélanie Joly, told the Toronto Star her government would halt future arms shipments. “It is a real thing,” she said on Tuesday.

The New Democrats, who are supporting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s minority government, have expressed frustration with what they see as his failure to do enough to protect civilians in Gaza.

The move comes as Ottawa has only exported "non-lethal" shipments such as communications equipment to Israel since the deadly October 7 attacks by Hamas against Israel triggered a war in the Gaza Strip.

No exports have taken place since January, the source added.

Israel has historically been a top receiver of Canadian arms exports, with CAN$21 million worth of military materiel exported to Israel in 2022, according to Radio Canada, following CAN$26 million in shipments in 2021.

That places Israel among the top 10 recipients of Canadian arms exports.

In March, a coalition of lawyers and Canadians of Palestinian origin lodged a complaint against the Canadian government seeking to suspend arms exports to Israel, saying Ottawa was violating both domestic and international law.

A Palestinian woman holds a child as they mourn their relatives killed in Israeli bombardment in Gaza. AFP

On Monday, the Canadian Parliament passed a nonbinding resolution calling for the international community to work toward a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.

The bloodiest ever Gaza war broke out after an unprecedented attack by Hamas on October 7 resulted in about 1,160 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Palestinian group Hamas also seized about 250 hostages, of whom Israel believes 130 remain in Gaza, including 33 who are presumed dead.

Israel has responded with a relentless offensive against Hamas that has killed at least 31,819 people, most of them women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry.

While affirming Israel's right to defend itself, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has taken an increasingly critical stance toward Israel as civilian deaths have mounted in Gaza.

Agencies