Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Joly affirmed that the government is “horrified” by the deaths of civilians from an Israeli air strike on a camp housing displaced Palestinians in Rafah.
“The images coming out of Rafah are horrific and heartbreaking,” Joly said in a separate statement in the House of Commons.
Canada’s minister added: “The killing of innocent civilians is completely unacceptable. The level of human suffering is catastrophic. That is why we need an immediate ceasefire.”
In the same vein, German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck criticized Israel for violating international law with its continued assaults on Rafah, marking him as the first prominent German official to condemn the Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip explicitly.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the escalating situation in Rafah, Gaza, following a devastating airstrike that killed dozens at a Palestinian refugee camp.
Diplomatic sources reported the upcoming council’s meeting, which aims to address the broader Middle East situation, including the Palestinian issue.
The meeting, requested by Algeria, a non-permanent member of the council, will be held behind closed doors, according to multiple diplomatic sources speaking to Agence France-Presse on Monday.
The urgency of the situation was underscored by a recent Israeli air raid in Rafah, which officials confirmed caused a massive fire, resulting in the tragic loss of 45 lives.
