Canada to attend UN conference on Palestinian statehood
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand will travel to New York on Monday for a United Nations conference on achieving a Palestinian state, which comes after French President Emmanuel Macron declared Thursday that his country would recognize Palestine in September, making France the first G7 nation to set out a clear timeline.
A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, told the Star the Carney government is not expecting to make a commitment to recognize a state of Palestine during the conference.
Ottawa's position, they said, remains that Canada would recognize a Palestinian state led by the Palestinian Authority when it would be most conducive to a 'lasting peace.' They did not rule out the possibility of joining France by September's UN general assembly.
Asked about Canada's position on Thursday, Anand suggested the Carney government's priority was on immediately ending the war in Gaza, where civilians face mass starvation due to Israeli blockades, and negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages remain at a standstill.
'I believe that the importance for Canadians is to ensure that humanitarian aid flows, to ensure that the hostages are released and to ensure that Hamas lays down its weapons so that Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security, side by side. That's Canada's position,' Anand told reporters in Inuvik, N.W.T. 'In terms of comparable positions or the positions of my counterparts, that's a conversation that I will have in person when I travel to New York and meet with them next week.'
In a statement on Thursday, Prime Minister Mark Carney
accused
Israel of violating international law for failing to allow aid into the Gaza Strip, as he called on its government to give control of the distribution of humanitarian aid to the United Nations.
Carney also said Canada will 'work intensively' toward the advancement of a two-state solution 'which guarantees peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.'
Macron's announcement was condemned by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said the move 'rewards terror.' U.S. President Donald Trump also dismissed France's declaration, telling reporters Friday that it 'doesn't carry weight.'
In a statement, Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa'ar said he told Anand on Friday that France's move 'will only push Israel to take steps of its own,' and that it 'harms the chances of achieving a hostage deal and ceasefire.'
Anand said on social media that she had also spoken with the Palestinian Authority's foreign minister on Friday.
France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting next week's meeting of diplomats, where they are expected to urge Western states to join them in recognizing a Palestinian state. A majority of UN member states already do so, but no other G7 country has so far said it would follow France's lead.
The United States is boycotting the conference, and the Trump administration has warned its allies not to attend.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
4 minutes ago
- New York Post
Iran sends surviving nuclear scientists into hiding after 14 killed in Israeli strikes, report says
Iran has sent its remaining nuclear scientists deep into hiding after the 12-day conflict in June that saw at least 14 killed by Israeli strikes, according to a new report. The more than 15 top scientists who survived the attack have left their homes and universities to hide in secure locations in Tehran or along the northern coast, a senior Iranian official told The Telegraph. But Israeli experts warned that whoever stands poised to inherit the work of the slain scientists — no matter where they choose to hide — are already 'dead men walking,' according to the UK outlet. 3 Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaking at a mourning ceremony for Iranian military leaders and scientists that were killed during the war with Israel in Tehran on July 29, 2025. via REUTERS 'Those who are left will be at the forefront of any Iranian attempt to reach a nuclear bomb, hence they will automatically become targets for Israel as Israel has shown in the past,' said Danny Citrinowicz, the former head of the Iranian strategic desk in Israeli Defense Intelligence agency. 'I have no doubt about it. Any scientist that deals with the nuclear issue will be eliminated or will be threatened with elimination,' he said. Israel has allegedly put together a total list of about 100 Iranian scientists who may be future targets to halt Tehran's nuclear ambition, according to the Telegraph. At least 14 of Tehran's top atomic experts were killed during Iran's 12-day war with Israel for their alleged personal role in developing highly enriched uranium, which the Jewish state maintains would be used for a nuclear weapon. 3 Smoke rising from an Israeli strike in Tehran on June 16, 2025. PhotoAmong them were Fereidoun Abbasi, a former head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, head of the Islamic Azad University in Tehran. The deadly strikes prompted Tehran to issue the new security measures for its surviving leading scientists, the Iranian official told The Telegraph. Iran also has reportedly replaced its atomic experts teaching in colleges 'with people who have no connection with the nuclear program.' Universities where some of the targets worked were hit and damaged by Israeli airstrikes during the war. 3 A residential building in Tehran destroyed in an Israeli strike seen on June 29, 2025. Footage byThe report of Tehran's efforts to bolster security for its scientists comes just days after Iran convicted and executed Rouzbeh Vadi, a reactor engineer accused of spying for Israel and helping facilitate the attack on his colleagues. Iran has undertaken a massive espionage crackdown after the war, arresting hundreds of people across the country and expelling more than a million Afghani refugees branded as possible spies for Israel. Hostage Air Worldwide, a nonprofit that works to help political captives and their families, said that at least four Iranian-Americans are among the hundreds detained in the espionage raids.
The Hill
4 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump, Netanyahu speak as Israel faces backlash over Gaza plan
President Trump spoke Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Israel and its leader face rising global backlash over its plan to expand military control of the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu's office announced the call in a post on social media, saying the leaders 'discussed Israel's plans for taking control of the remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza in order to bring about the end of the war, the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas.' Netanyahu also 'thanked President Trump for his steadfast support of Israel since the start of the war,' his office said. The call comes as Netanyahu defends Israel's plans to increase its military presence in Gaza with the stated goal of wiping out the remaining Hamas strongholds in the Palestinian territory. Trump has given Netanyahu a tacit endorsement to take over the Gaza Strip, even as other US and Israeli allies hold back military aid and condemn the Israeli government for the escalating hunger crisis in Gaza. 'I know that we are there now trying to get people fed. … As far as the rest of it, I really can't say. That's going to be pretty much up to Israel,' Trump said earlier this week when asked about Netanyahu's plan. Netanyahu defended the Israel plan in a Sunday press conference, accusing the country's critics and media outlets of promoting 'fake' stories about starving children and comparing the claims to lies spread throughout history to justify mass slaughters of Jews. Germany announced Friday it would halt military exports to Israel that can be used in the Gaza Strip. France, Canada and the United Kingdom previously expressed their intents to recognize an independent Palestinian state, a move vehemently opposed by Israel. U.S. lawmakers have become increasingly outspoken against Israel after its military has repeatedly opened fire on Palestinians at food distribution sites. 'Look, Israel had a right, of course, to defend itself from the terrible terrorist attack from Hamas, but what they have done since then is gone to war against the entire Palestinian people,' said Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in a Sunday interview with CNN's 'State of the Union.' Sanders, who is Jewish, criticized Netanyahu's decision to 'impose a blockade, preventing food to come in.'
Bloomberg
5 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Iran Rejects Nuclear Inspections Ahead of New Talks With IAEA
Iran won't allow nuclear site inspections when a senior International Atomic Energy Agency official visits Tehran on Monday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said. 'Until we reach a new agreement framework, no cooperation will begin' with the United Nations nuclear watchdog, he said in televised remarks. Araghchi didn't identify the IAEA deputy director general who he said will be visiting.
