OTTAWA,
ON, July 26, 2024 /CNW/ - Australia, Canada and New
Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for
an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and
the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel.
The situation in Gaza is
catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot
continue.
We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of Hamas for the
atrocities of October 7 and ongoing
acts of terror. Hamas must lay down its arms and release all
hostages. We see no role for Hamas in the future governance of
Gaza.
Israel must listen to the
concerns of the international community. The protection of
civilians is paramount and a requirement under international
humanitarian law. Palestinian civilians cannot be made to pay the
price of defeating Hamas. It must end.
An immediate ceasefire is needed desperately. Civilians must be
protected, and a sustained increase in the flow of assistance
throughout Gaza is needed to
address the humanitarian situation.
We fully stand behind the comprehensive ceasefire deal, outlined
by President Biden and endorsed by the UN Security Council. We call
on parties to the conflict to agree to the deal. Any delay will
only see more lives lost.
We are committed to working towards an irreversible path to
achieving a two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians can
live securely within internationally recognised borders. This is
the only realistic option to achieve a just and enduring peace.
We call on Israel to respond
substantively to the ICJ's advisory opinion, and ensure
accountability for ongoing acts of violence against Palestinians by
extremist settlers, reverse the record expansion of settlements in
the West Bank which are illegal
under international law, and work towards a two-state solution.
We are gravely concerned about the prospect of further
escalation across the region. We condemn Iran's attack against Israel of April
13-14, call on Iran to
refrain from further destabilizing actions in the Middle East, and demand that Iran and its affiliated groups, including
Hizballah, cease their attacks. We also condemn the Houthis'
ongoing reckless acts, including their indiscriminate drone attack
in Tel Aviv and ongoing attacks on
international shipping.
We are particularly concerned by the situation along the Blue
Line, including the escalation of hostilities and rhetoric between
the terror group Hizballah and Israel. It has led to the displacement of
thousands of Israelis along the northern border and thousands of
Lebanese along the southern border. Further hostilities put tens of
thousands of civilians in Lebanon
and Israel at risk.
This escalation in hostilities only makes a ceasefire in
Gaza more urgent. We urge all
involved actors to exercise restraint and de-escalate. We support
diplomatic efforts to implement UN Security Council Resolution
1701. A wider scale war would have disastrous consequences for
Israel and Lebanon, and for civilians across the
region.
This document is also available
at https://pm.gc.ca
SOURCE Prime Minister's Office