'Disconnected from reality': Israel rejects Gaza statement from Canada, 24 other nations
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and 24 of her counterparts abroad have signed a joint statement saying 'the war in Gaza must end now,' while calling on Israel to stop displacing Palestinians.
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The signatories — who include the foreign ministers of France, Japan and the U.K. — called Israel's aid distribution system 'dangerous.'
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The ministers also condemned Hamas for continuing to hold hostages captured from Israel in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack and called for their immediate release.
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They said it's 'horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid.' That death toll is based on figures released by the UN human rights office and the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.
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Oren Marmorstein, spokesman for Israel's foreign affairs ministry, said Israel rejects the joint statement, calling it 'disconnected from reality' and saying it 'sends the wrong message to Hamas.'
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'The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognize Hamas's role and responsibility for the situation. Hamas is the sole party responsible for the continuation of the war and the suffering on both sides,' Marmorstein wrote in a social media statement.
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'At these sensitive moments in the ongoing negotiations, it is better to avoid statements of this kind.'
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Marmorstein said that Hamas is solely to blame for the lack of movement on a ceasefire and on releasing the hostages. He accused Hamas of 'deliberately' increasing tensions and civilian harm at humanitarian aid stations.
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The ministers who signed the statement are calling on the Israeli government to lift all restrictions on aid delivery and to 'enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs' to do their work safely and effectively.
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'The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity. We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food,' the ministers wrote.
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The ministers decry proposals by Israeli officials to concentrate Palestinians in Gaza into one city. It also takes aim at the Israeli government's proposed expansion of settlements in the Palestinian territories it occupies, particularly as it seeks to divide the West Bank from East Jerusalem.
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Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
U.S. government analysis found no evidence of systematic theft by Hamas of Gaza aid
An internal U.S. government analysis found no evidence of systematic theft by the Palestinian militant group Hamas of U.S.-funded humanitarian supplies, challenging the main rationale that Israel and the U.S. give for backing a new armed private aid operation. The analysis, which has not been previously reported, was conducted by a bureau within the U.S. Agency for International Development and completed in late June. It examined 156 incidents of theft or loss of U.S.-funded supplies reported by U.S. aid partner organizations between October 2023 and this May. It found 'no reports alleging Hamas' benefited from U.S.-funded supplies, according to a slide presentation of the findings seen by Reuters. A State Department spokesperson disputed the findings, saying there is video evidence of Hamas looting aid, but provided no such videos. The spokesperson also accused traditional humanitarian groups of covering up 'aid corruption.' The findings were shared with the USAID's inspector general's office and State Department officials involved in Middle East policy, said two sources familiar with the matter, and come as dire food shortages deepen in the devastated enclave. Carney calls for Israel to relinquish control of aid delivery to Gaza Israel says it is committed to allowing in aid but must control it to prevent it from being stolen by Hamas, which it blames for the crisis. The U.N. World Food Program says nearly a quarter of Gaza's 2.1 million Palestinians face famine-like conditions, thousands are suffering acute malnutrition, and the World Health Organization and doctors in the enclave report starvation deaths of children and others. The U.N. also estimates that Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 people seeking food supplies, the majority near the militarized distribution sites of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the new private aid group that uses a for-profit U.S. logistics firm run by a former CIA officer and armed U.S. military veterans. The study was conducted by the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) of USAID, which was the largest funder of assistance to Gaza before the Trump administration froze all U.S. foreign aid in January, terminating thousands of programs. It has also begun dismantling USAID, whose functions have been folded into the State Department. The analysis found that at least 44 of the 156 incidents where aid supplies were reported stolen or lost were 'either directly or indirectly' due to Israeli military actions, according to the briefing slides. Israel's military did not respond to questions about those findings. The study noted a limitation: because Palestinians who receive aid cannot be vetted, it was possible that U.S.-funded supplies went to administrative officials of Hamas, the Islamist rulers of Gaza. One source familiar with the study also cautioned that the absence of reports of widespread aid diversion by Hamas 'does not mean that diversion has not occurred.' The war in Gaza began after Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Nearly 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli assault began, according to Palestinian health officials. Israel, which controls access to Gaza, has said that Hamas steals food supplies from U.N. and other organizations to use to control the civilian population and boost its finances, including by jacking up the prices of the goods and reselling them to civilians. Asked about the USAID report, the Israeli military told Reuters that its allegations are based on intelligence reports that Hamas militants seized cargoes by 'both covertly and overtly' embedding themselves on aid trucks. Those reports also show that Hamas has diverted up to 25 per cent of aid supplies to its fighters or sold them to civilians, the Israeli military said, adding that GHF has ended the militants' control of aid by distributing it directly to civilians. Hamas denies the allegations. A Hamas security official said that Israel has killed more than 800 Hamas-affiliated police and security guards trying to protect aid vehicles and convoy routes. Their missions were co-ordinated with the U.N. Reuters could not independently verify the claims by Hamas and Israel, which has not made public proof that the militants have systematically stolen aid. Reuters, BBC and other news agencies say journalists in Gaza at risk of starvation GHF also accuses Hamas of massive aid theft in defending its distribution model. The U.N. and other groups have rejected calls by GHF, Israel and the U.S. to co-operate with the foundation, saying it violates international humanitarian principles of neutrality. In response to a request for comment, GHF referred Reuters to a July 2 Washington Post article that quoted an unidentified Gazan and anonymous Israeli officials as saying Hamas profited from the sales and taxing of pilfered humanitarian aid. The 156 reports of theft or losses of supplies reviewed by BHA were filed by U.N. agencies and other humanitarian groups working in Gaza as a condition of receiving U.S. aid funds. The second source familiar with the matter said that after receiving reports of U.S.-funded aid thefts or losses, USAID staff followed up with partner organizations to try to determine if there was Hamas involvement. Those organizations also would 'redirect or pause' aid distributions if they learned that Hamas was in the vicinity, the source said. Aid organizations working in Gaza also are required to vet their personnel, subcontractors and suppliers for ties to extremist groups before receiving U.S. funds, a condition that the State Department waived in approving US$30-million for GHF last month. The slide presentation noted that USAID partners tended to over-report aid diversion and theft by groups sanctioned or designated by the U.S. as foreign terrorist organizations – such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad – because they want to avoid losing U.S. funding. Of the 156 incidents of loss or theft reported, 63 were attributed to unknown perpetrators, 35 to armed actors, 25 to unarmed people, 11 directly to Israeli military action, 11 to corrupt subcontractors, five to aid group personnel 'engaging in corrupt activities,' and six to 'others,' a category that accounted for 'commodities stolen in unknown circumstances,' according to the slide presentation. The armed actors 'included gangs and other miscellaneous individuals who may have had weapons,' said a slide. Another slide said 'a review of all 156 incidents found no affiliations with' U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations, of which Hamas is one. 'The majority of incidents could not be definitively attributed to a specific actor,' said another slide. 'Partners often largely discovered the commodities had been stolen in transit without identifying the perpetrator.' It is possible there were classified intelligence reports on Hamas aid thefts, but BHA staff lost access to classified systems in the dismantlement of USAID, said a slide. However, a source familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments told Reuters that they knew of no U.S. intelligence reports detailing Hamas aid diversions and that Washington was relying on Israeli reports. The BHA analysis found that the Israeli military 'directly or indirectly caused' a total of 44 incidents in which U.S.-funded aid was lost or stolen. Those included the 11 attributed to direct Israeli military actions, such as airstrikes or orders to Palestinians to evacuate areas of the war-torn enclave. Losses indirectly attributed to Israeli military included cases where they compelled aid groups to use delivery routes with high risks of theft or looting, ignoring requests for alternative routes, the analysis said.
Toronto Sun
6 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
New Arctic ambassador will play 'key role' in defending sovereignty: Anand
Published Jul 24, 2025 • 4 minute read Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, front left to right, Northern and Arctic Affairs Minister and minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Rebecca Chartrand, Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne and Minister of Indigenous Services Mandy Gull-Masty arrive for a meeting of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee, in Inuvik, N.W.T., on Thursday, July 24, 2025. Photo by Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says Canada's new Arctic ambassador will play a key role in preserving sovereignty in the region as the military closely watches the movements of a Chinese icebreaker. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Iqaluit resident Virginia Mearns will be Canada's senior Arctic official on the world stage, following a career with local Inuit governments. 'Canada's Arctic ambassador is going to advance Canada's polar interests in multilateral forums,' Anand told The Canadian Press in an interview from Inuvik, N.W.T. She said Mearns will 'engage with counterparts in both Arctic and non-Arctic states' and 'serve as a representative in our diplomatic core.' Anand said Canada will follow through on its $35-million Arctic foreign policy and its commitment to open new consulates in both Alaska and Greenland, despite the government's announcement of cuts to the foreign service to fund a boost in military spending. She said she plans to visit Greenland to open the consulate 'in due course.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Anand said both consulates will be 'very useful' as they are integrated into the Arctic policy. 'This is a full-court press in terms of ensuring that we are doing whatever it takes to defend Canadian sovereignty,' she said of the Arctic policy. Read More Mearns' appointment coincided with a major meeting Thursday between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Inuit leaders to discuss his government's controversial major-projects legislation. Anand said she attended the meeting in the Northwest Territories because the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee touches on many themes that apply to both Canada's foreign and domestic agendas. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But her visit also comes as the Canadian military closely observes Chinese icebreaker Xue Long 2 as it gathers information north of Alaska. Anand said that in her former role as defence minister, she was 'very concerned about the potential for threats in Arctic waters' and had the Canadian Armed Forces intensify its efforts 'to detect, deter and defend against instances such as Chinese vessels near Canada's Arctic waters.' She said the military 'is actively monitoring the dual-purpose Chinese research vessel,' which she said was not 'in Canadian territorial waters' as of Thursday afternoon. 'The Canadian Armed Forces will continue to actively monitor the vessel, and ensure that Canadian sovereignty is protected at every turn,' she added. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 2nd Lt. Cammeron Radford, public affairs officer for the Canadian Forces Joint Operations Command, told The Canadian Press in an email the vessel can be live-tracked on numerous websites. 'The Canadian Joint Operations Command is actively monitoring the vessel Xue Long 2 with a CP-140 Aurora aircraft, based out of Alaska,' he wrote Thursday afternoon. 'Competitors are exploring Arctic waters and the sea floor, probing our infrastructure, and collecting intelligence using dual-purpose research vessels and surveillance platforms. The CAF will continue to actively monitor the Xue Long 2 so long as it continues to operate near Canadian territorial waters.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO Canada's Arctic foreign policy document, released last December, noted that Beijing sends research vessels into the Arctic, though it described some of China's forays as 'dual-use,' with both research and military applications. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Mearns declined to give an interview when The Canadian Press called her Thursday but she said she would be open to speaking at a later date. Her appointment comes after U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly called for Canada to become a U.S. state and floated the idea of annexing Greenland. Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, which represents the interests of Inuit in Canada, has voiced concerns about another wave of militarization of their territories like the one during the Cold War. Those decades of militarization in the Arctic led to forced relocations of Inuit communities, the loss of property and disruptions to traditional ways of life. ITK has said that Inuit want to help defend Canada against foreign threats but in a way that respects local realities. The group has been in touch with Inuit counterparts in Greenland and Alaska about recent events. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Natan Obed, president of ITK, said he's 'very pleased' with the government's decision to name Mearns as Canada's new Arctic ambassador. Obed said Mearns' name was among those floated to take on the role, though a 'full-scale co-developed process' with the government was interrupted by the federal election. Obed said Mearns will be an 'incredible contributor in diplomacy at this point in time for Canada.' 'And she's an Inuk from Nunavut so also will bring that Inuit perspective to any room that she's in, whether here in Canada or abroad,' Obed said. Anand said Ottawa is very aware of its legacy in the region and wants to build better partnerships. 'The work that the government of Canada is doing now is absolutely essential to ensuring that Canadian sovereignty, and the defence of our Arctic, is fulfilled at the highest level. And that work specifically includes the partnership with Indigenous peoples,' she said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'The relationship with Indigenous peoples is not only important but also absolutely necessary. And I have learned that they are dedicated, kind and willing partners with whom we will continue to collaborate.' The government's Arctic policy calls for tighter security co-ordination to counteract the closer ties between Beijing and Moscow, and for collaboration on scientific research in the region. The policy document says the North American Arctic is 'no longer free from tension' because of the rise in geopolitical instability following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has 'shaken the foundations of international co-operation in the Arctic.' Ottawa appointed Mary Simon, now governor general, as its first ambassador for circumpolar affairs in 1994. She held the post for a decade. Jack Anawak then held the role until 2006, at which point the Harper government discontinued the post. — With files from Alessia Passafiume and Aaron Sousa in Inuvik. Sports Toronto & GTA Canada Toronto & GTA World
Toronto Sun
6 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Canada condemns Israel over humanitarian crisis in Gaza
Published Jul 24, 2025 • 1 minute read Prime Minister Mark Carney is accusing the Israeli government of failing to prevent a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Photo by Chris Young / The Canadian Press OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney is accusing the Israeli government of failing to prevent a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and of violating international law by denying aid. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Carney said in a social media post Thursday evening that Israel's control of aid distribution must be replaced by 'comprehensive provision' of humanitarian assistance led by international organizations. He says Canada is calling on all sides to negotiate an immediate ceasefire and repeating its calls for Hamas to release all hostages and for Israel to respect the territorial integrity of the West Bank and Gaza. Read More Israel's parliament on Wednesday approved a symbolic motion to annex the West Bank. Carney says Canada supports a two-state solution, with Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand set to attend a UN conference next week in New York on the issue. His comments came on the same day French President Emmanuel Macron announced his country would recognize Palestine as a state. — With files from The Associated Press. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Sports Toronto & GTA World Toronto & GTA Canada
