Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said he told his Canadian counterpart Minister Anita Anand that diplomatic “attacks” against Israel have led Hamas to reject a cease-fire proposal.
Ottawa has been vocal in advocating for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip as Israel continues its military operations to defeat Hamas and as dire humanitarian conditions continue in the region.
Canada in recent days joined nearly 30 other countries in issuing a statement calling for the war to “end now.” The statement said the suffering of civilians has “reached new depths” and criticized Israel’s aid delivery model.
The signatory countries also called for the release of hostages held by Hamas, but Israel criticized the statement for not “focus[ing] the pressure on Hamas” or recognizing “Hamas’s role” in the situation. Hamas welcomed the statement as a mark of “international recognition” of the Israeli “occupation.”…