In a joint statement published on Wednesday, the leaders of Canada, New Zealand, and Australia call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza in response to Israel's planned military operation in Rafah.
The statement emphasizes that Rafah is currently providing refuge for 1.5 million Palestinians and that an expanded military operation would be catastrophic.
"An immediate humanitarian ceasefire is urgently needed. Hostages must be released. The need for humanitarian assistance in Gaza has never been greater. Rapid, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian relief must be provided to civilians," the joint statement by the three Prime Ministers said.
"The International Court of Justice has been clear: Israel must ensure the delivery of basic services and essential humanitarian assistance and must protect civilians. The Court’s decisions on provisional measures are binding."
Canada, Australia, and New Zealand reiterate their commitment to a two-state solution in which an independent Palestinian state exists alongside Israel.
The joint statement comes just weeks after both Canada and Australia suspended funding for the United Nations agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in response to allegations by Israel that UNRWA staff participated in the attacks on 7 October.
Earlier this week six Canadian labor unions representing over 2 million workers sent a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau requesting a reversal of the decision to pause funding for UNRWA.
"UNRWA is an irreplaceable aid organization relied upon by millions of Palestinians for over 7 decades," the letter reads. It continues to state that "it is particularly cruel for large donor countries to deny this critical organization its funding at this time, considering the current catastrophic humanitarian crisis caused by ongoing bombardment by Israel."
Read the full joint statement here and the full letter here.
