Canada would arrest Israeli PM if he came here: Trudeau

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In the wake of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Canada’s PM said they’d abide by the court’s ruling.

On Thursday, the Netherlands-based court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri in connection with the conflict sparked by a deadly terrorist attack in October 2023 that saw scores of Palestinians flood into Israel to murder, sexually assault and kidnap innocent Israelis.

As well, efforts by Israel to deliver aid into Gaza have historically been stymied by Hamas, who routinely hijack aid shipments in order to sell them, preventing vital supplies from reaching those in need.

“We are one of the founding members of the International Criminal Court, we stand up for international law, and we will abide by all regulations and rulings of the international courts,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a press conference Thursday.

“This is just who we are as Canadians.”

Trudeau added that more work needs to be done to end the conflict.

“We need to see aid flowing in, there are people facing famine and disease. We need to see all of the hostages released, we need to see Hamas lay down their arms — we condemn Hamas for its continued actions,” Trudeau said.

“We need to see a ceasefire that protects civilians. We need to get back on track towards a two-state solution, with a peaceful Israel living alongside a peaceful Palestinian state.”

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
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