More than 30 MPs — including 23 Liberals — call for ceasefire in Israel-Hamas war
One former minister and several Parliamentary secretaries say Trudeau should advocate for a ceasefire
More than 30 MPs — 23 of them Liberals — have written a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling on him to advocate for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
"Canada has long been a voice for peace. The longer this conflict goes on, the more innocent civilians will pay with their lives. We demand that Canada join the growing international call for an immediate ceasefire. Canada must act before more innocent children are killed," says the letter, signed by 33 MPs.
The signatories include former cabinet minister Omar Alghabra and six current parliamentary secretaries. Eight NDP MPs, including House Leader Peter Julian, and both Green Party MPs also added their names to the list.
"We're in a situation where without a ceasefire I don't see how international law can be respected," said Green Party Leader Elizabeth May in an interview with CBC. "But that doesn't mean we're telling Israel it can't defend itself. Far from it."
She said Israel deserves assistance in eliminating Hamas as a terrorist organization, but that cannot come at the expense of civilian lives.
Two of the Liberals who signed, Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and Yasir Naqvi, are currently running for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party.
The MPs condemn the Hamas attacks that killed more than a thousand Israeli civilians on October 7 and called for the release of all hostages. They also called on the government to push for humanitarian corridors into Gaza so aid can be provided to Palestinians.
One signatory, Liberal MP Sameer Zuberi, said he and his colleagues signed the letter to advocate for peace.
"The reason why we signed this letter is to call for a ceasefire and to make a call for peace, a concrete call for peace," he said.
"The circumstances right now are are leading to a lot of civilian casualties and that's why we ... must stop what is happening."
Like May, Zuberi — who spoke tearfully before cameras on Wednesday about the recent explosion near a hospital in Gaza — said the call for a ceasefire doesn't mean he believes Israel doesn't have a right to defend itself.
"Every country has the full obligation to defend its its citizens, to ensure that they live in safety and security," he said. "At the same time, there is a very well established legal doctrine and military doctrine that relates to civilians and that civilian casualties must be avoided to a very high degree of caution."
Liberal MP Salma Zahid — who helped organize the letter — echoed Zuberi's comments in an interview on CBC News Network's Power & Politics.
"The longer this conflict goes on, [the] more innocent civilians will pay with their lives," she told host David Cochrane.
A number of Liberal MPs, including Ben Carr and Anthony Housefather, have spoken against calls for a ceasefire, citing Israel's right to defend itself and the concern that Hamas would use a ceasefire to rebuild and regain strength.
CBC News has asked the Prime Minister's Office for a response to the letter.
During a press conference on Friday — before the letter was made public — Trudeau was asked if the conflict was creating a division in his caucus.
"There are lots of different perspectives. But there are shared fears and concerns amongst all parliamentarians and a commitment every single day to keep everyone safe here in Canada and everywhere around the world," he said.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called for a ceasefire on Monday during a take-note debate in the House of Commons. He reiterated his position during a press conference on Friday.
"The only way forward, to save lives, is to see a peaceful resolution. War will only result in more death and more destruction," Singh said.
No Conservative or Bloc Québécois MP signed the letter. During Monday's debate in the House, Conservative Michael Chong said Canada "should resist" calls for a ceasefire until Hamas is "eliminated."
MPs pen open letter to prime minister calling for ceasefire in Israel-Hamas war (PDF KB)
MPs pen open letter to prime minister calling for ceasefire in Israel-Hamas war (Text KB)CBC is not responsible for 3rd party content
430 Canadians in Gaza, government says
The MPs' letter comes after nearly two weeks of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. It is expected that Israeli forces will soon launch a ground incursion into the territory as well.
On Thursday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told infantry troops massing along Israel's border with Gaza that they would soon see it "from the inside," a clear reference to an anticipated ground invasion.
Julie Sunday, an assistant deputy minister with Global Affairs Canada, told reporters that the government is aware of roughly 430 Canadian citizens and permanent residents in Gaza.
Asked if she had any new information regarding the possibility that foreign nationals will be allowed to leave Gaza over the Egyptian border, Sunday said nothing has been confirmed.
"But we are ready," she said. "We are moving full force to try to get all of those pieces into place so that once those individuals are through that gate, that we're able to get them safely back to Canada."
Clarifications
- This story has been updated to add context to the two Liberal MPs’ opposition to a ceasefire.Oct 22, 2023 10:42 AM ET
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Emily Haws