'Rain of fire and death': Doctor describes civilian casualties he's treated in Gaza
Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, an American trauma surgeon who has volunteered in Gaza, briefed the United Nations on the injuries he has seen in children and pregnant women and what he called the deliberate destruction of a health-care system and the erasure of a people.
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Toronto Star
3 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Israeli envoy pushes back as Ottawa calls out ‘disturbing' food restrictions on Gaza
OTTAWA - The MP overseeing Canada's foreign aid is calling on Israel to stop restricting the flow of food aid to the Gaza Strip — while Israel's ambassador is pushing back on Ottawa's suggestion that his country is violating humanitarian law. 'Gaza is officially the hungriest place on earth. This is profoundly disturbing,' Randeep Sarai, the secretary of state for international development, posted Monday on the platform X. Star Exclusive RCMP says it's probing potential war crimes related to Israel-Hamas conflict Ben Mussett The Israeli government has set up an agency to distribute aid in four locations in Gaza, effectively shutting down hundreds of sites that had been operated by international agencies across the territory. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Israel says this was necessary in order to stop aid from reaching Hamas, but the World Food Programme says aid diversion was not happening to any significant degree. The new system, operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, does not operate in northern areas of Gaza that Israeli ministers have said should be cleared of Palestinians. The foundation, which is backed by Israel and the U.S., insists it has successfully distributed aid and has disputed reports of near-daily shootings at or near its distribution sites. The United Nations has rejected the new system, saying it doesn't address Gaza's mounting hunger crisis and allows Israel to use aid as a weapon. Aid groups have described chaotic scenes of violence as crowds of desperate Palestinians rush aid distribution centres while Israeli soldiers fire shots nearby. Aid groups like Oxfam say it sets a dangerous precedent to have a warring party control who receives aid, instead of neutral organizations subject to global scrutiny. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'We urge the Government of Israel to immediately restore aid flow into Gaza and allow the UN and humanitarian organizations to work independently to provide urgent, life-saving aid to civilians,' Sarai wrote Monday. He repeated the federal government's call for a ceasefire and for Hamas to release all hostages. 'Civilians must be protected and treated with dignity — humanitarian law must be upheld,' Sarai wrote. In a social media post, Israel's Ambassador to Canada Iddo Moed said aid is still being distributed and accused United Nations agencies of choosing to 'cherry pick the facts to paint an alternative version of reality and demonize Israel.' He repeated the claim that the 'UN feeds Hamas' and insisted the new aid distribution system is working better than the one previously run by international organizations — a view that virtually no western country other than the U.S. seems to share. 'In a desperate effort to remain relevant, (UN agencies) lambaste the best efforts of Israel and its partners to facilitate delivery of humanitarian aid to the civilian population,' Moed wrote. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Palestinian health officials and witnesses said Israeli forces fired on people Tuesday as they headed toward an aid distribution centre, killing at least 27. The Israeli army said it fired 'near a few individual suspects' who left the designated route, approached its forces and ignored warning shots. Israel bars foreign journalists from entering Gaza without being accompanied by Israeli soldiers. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation refused to say Monday whether it receives any public or private funds from Canada. 'GHF is a registered non-profit ... like most non-profits, we don't disclose our donors,' the agency wrote in an email which did not identify any spokesperson. The federal Liberals have been taking heat from human rights groups for not following through on a threat last month to impose targeted sanctions on Israel if the situation worsens in the Palestinian territories. Since then, international organizations have repeatedly warned of a risk of famine in Gaza, while the Israel government has said it will expand settlements in the West Bank. — With files from The Associated Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2025. Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.
National Post
5 hours ago
- National Post
Iddo Moed: False narratives about Israel have violent consequences
I am the ambassador of a country that was built by unexpected leaders. Article content Article content The founders of the State of Israel were not aristocrats or members of a wealthy elite. They were refugees and immigrants — men and women who arrived with little more than determination and hope. They fled violence, persecution, and antisemitism from every corner of the world: pogroms in Europe and Asia, attacks by mobs and ultimately expulsion from Arab lands, and the unthinkable horrors of the Holocaust. Article content Article content While Jews have had a continuous presence in the Holy Land for millennia, modern Israel was forged in the crucible of exile and survival. Today, Israel is a thriving liberal democracy with a diverse and multicultural society, a dynamic economy, and a strong defence force. Article content Article content We are proud of these achievements. But we have never forgotten an important lesson from Jewish history: false narratives, when left unchallenged, have violent consequences. Article content One need not look far to understand why this lesson is so deeply ingrained in our psyche. Theodor Herzl, the father of modern political Zionism, was moved by what he witnessed during the infamous Dreyfus Affair in late 19th-century France. A Jewish army officer, Captain Alfred Dreyfus, was falsely accused and convicted of treason. The campaign against him was led by the virulently antisemitic press — particularly La Libre Parole, which pushed a dangerous narrative: that Jews were inherently disloyal. Article content Given our history, we are highly attuned to the moments these falsehoods begin to surface. That's why, when I woke up Sunday morning to headlines from nearly every major Canadian media outlet — except National Post — about an alleged incident at a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid hub in Rafah, I was immediately concerned. Article content This war has shown us, time and again, how Hamas manipulates facts on the ground, creating stories of atrocities that either didn't happen or happened in a very different way. The media often amplifies these claims uncritically, and by the time the truth emerges, the damage is done. Article content The most egregious example came just weeks after the October 7 massacre. The Hamas-run Palestinian Health Ministry claimed an Israeli airstrike had killed hundreds at Al-Ahli Hospital. Israel immediately launched an investigation — but the media didn't wait. The story exploded across front pages and screens around the world. Article content By the time the investigation revealed that the explosion was caused by a Palestinian rocket, which was confirmed by the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command, millions were misled. Worse, some politicians — including Canada's own foreign affairs minister at the time — rushed to condemn Israel before the facts were known.
Toronto Star
6 hours ago
- Toronto Star
First Nations don't have a veto over nation-building projects, Mark Carney's justice minister says
OTTAWA—Justice Minister Sean Fraser says the federal duty to consult and engage Indigenous people on major nation-building projects does not amount to granting those communities a veto. After the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) warned Prime Minister Mark Carney he must secure Indigenous Peoples' consent to his plans to expedite massive infrastructure projects, citing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, Fraser said the legal duty under that declaration is viewed by international experts and the current government as limited. 'In most circumstances, I think it demands a very deep level of, of engagement and understanding of the rights that may be impacted. And to the extent that those rights can be accommodated, we should make every effort to. The explicit nature of a veto — so from my understanding — is it stops short of a complete veto,' Fraser said in response to the Star's questions Tuesday. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'But it certainly, in my view, heightens the demands upon government to engage fully to both understand the nature of the rights that could be impacted by decisions taken by the government, but also the heightened duty to accommodate those rights that are baked into our treaties and protected by our Constitution.' The first ministers meeting in Saskatoon ended Monday with Carney promising Indigenous leaders would be deeply involved in the development of 'nation-building' projects that all premiers are keen to accelerate, and which Carney intends to fast-track with new legislation, tighter timelines for approvals, and possibly federal infrastructure money as he squares off against President Donald Trump's tariff war. Federal Politics Mark Carney, premiers agree on 'nation-building priorities,' but First Nations raise alarms over lack of consultation Prime Minister hints at prioritizing energy infrastructure — such as pipelines — after first Fraser said 'international commentary and the limited jurisprudence' interpreting the UN declaration indicates that 'we do need to fully engage and to the extent there's a potential to have a more direct impact on Aboriginal and treaty rights, it demands a higher degree of engagement.' But, he said, experts have suggested 'that is not necessarily a blanket veto power.' 'But of course, we're in new territory here. Over the course of the next generation, I expect the courts are going to do some significant work, but hopefully a lot of that work is actually going to be done between governments and Indigenous Peoples themselves through engagement and conversations.' Fraser's comments represent the first clear statement of how Carney's government will interpret the UN declaration and Canadian law when it comes to consulting Inuit, First Nations and Métis people about projects on lands over which they may hold treaty or constitutional land claims. It stands in contrast to how many Indigenous leaders view the Crown's legal obligation to consult them, many of whom argue it grants the power to consent to or deny economic development proposals. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Canada adopted legislation and an action plan to implement the UN declaration under then-justice minister David Lametti, now principal secretary to Carney. The AFN, the national advocacy group for First Nations, on Monday reminded Carney of his legal obligations to consult and obtain the consent of affected communities when drawing up the legislation to fast-track projects, and when deciding on which projects will be designated 'nation-building' and qualify for expedited approvals. Without the 'free, prior and informed consent' of those communities, the AFN warned Carney's plan will be mired in conflict and litigation. Both B.C. and Ontario governments have faced pushback from Indigenous groups as they tried to expedite resource development projects. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has moved to amend a controversial bill in an effort to address concerns that Indigenous treaty rights and environmental protections are under threat. His government has proposed to allow Indigenous-led special economic zones over mining and infrastructure projects that could benefit their communities. In B.C. First Nations leaders say a new mining framework should recognize a 'duty to consent' not a duty to consult. Provincial Politics Doug Ford's Tories amend controversial mining bill to allay First Nation concerns Indigenous leaders have been warning Ford that Bill 5 fast-tracking mining and other 'I believe in duty to consult,' Ford told reporters in Toronto Tuesday. 'I believe in treaty rights. But we can't take two, three years for duty to consult. We need to move forward. What I've experienced, when they have an equity partnership in any deal, the duty consult moves rapidly. Really quick, which is a good thing, but there's an opportunity unlike they've ever seen before, and we just want a great partnership.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW He said there are 'many, many chiefs' that want developments like northern Ontario's Ring of Fire mining region to be developed. 'They want this road built. They want the quality of life for their kids that they never had, and that's what we're providing with them, and they're going to be great partners as we move forward.' Fraser, the federal justice minister, speaking to reporters before a cabinet meeting in Ottawa Tuesday, said that 'when we get down to the actual project decisions, it's important that we fully understand the potential impact that those projects could have on rights that are protected in our treaties and again, protected by our constitution before we actually move forward with specific projects.' He said Ottawa has had 'some engagement to date leading up to this first ministers meeting,' adding the engagement is 'ongoing.' However, AFN national chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak in a letter to Carney released Monday said it was insufficient for Ottawa to merely provide a letter and a three-page background document without providing the proposed legislation for fast-tracking project approvals to First Nations. Nepinak said she told Carney in a meeting last week that when it comes to 'nation-building projects,' Canada needs to start with fast-tracking the basics like clean water, quality housing, modern schools, all-season roads and community infrastructure. Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty said that while closing the First Nations infrastructure gap is important, it's not considered nation-building and would be pursued outside the proposed legislation. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Fraser said the prime minister 'has committed to engaging over the course of the summer directly with Indigenous leaders.' 'We've learned over the course of Canada's history if you exclude rights holders from the conversation, in the long term, it's actually going to slow you down. So putting in the work up front to make sure that the nature of the rights that could be impacted are well understood and moving forward, preferably in collaboration with Indigenous partners, is going to set you up for success in the long term.' But, said Fraser, there are many Canadians that do want to see projects move more swiftly. 'It's also very clear in my community and communities across the country, Canadians want to see major projects that advance the national interest approved more quickly than the existing regime has for those key projects that are nation building. So the prime minister has made that commitment. We're going to be moving forward with measures that will help move forward those projects in the national interest, but we're going to do what we can to do it in collaboration with Indigenous partners along the way.' After the first ministers meeting ended Monday in Saskatoon, premiers emerged singing Carney's praises, and vowing to work to eliminate remaining internal trade barriers, to consult with Indigenous leaders, to streamline their own provincial permitting processes and where possible co-operate with Ottawa to assign major projects a single environmental impact assessment, under the rubric of 'one-project, one-review' that Carney has been touting. Carney, for his part, said the federal government will introduce legislation to eliminate federal barriers to internal trade and to establish a Major Federal Projects Office with the stated mandate to reduce approvals time for designated 'nation-building' resource and infrastructure projects from five years to two. He also endorsed the possible approval, and even federal support for, a future oil pipeline project that could bring oilsands exports from Alberta to tidewater — whether via the West in northwest B.C. or the East to ports in Churchill as long as it carries 'decarbonized' barrels of Canadian oil to international markets, which Carney declared would be in the 'national interest.' Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! 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