In the news today: Israel-Hamas war roils as Canadians fear peace is impossible

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to
bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…

Intense Israeli bombardments continue to strike Gaza

Gaza’s Interior Ministry said Israel renewed airstrikes before dawn on Wednesday and hit locations across the Gaza Strip after the blast at al-Ahli Hospital. At least 37 people were killed following attacks in the al-Qasasib and Halima al-Saadia areas of Jabalia, north of Gaza, it said.

Officials with Shifa Hospital, where hundreds of victims of the al-Ahli Hospital blast were taken, say the facility will run out of fuel on Wednesday unless more supplies enter the Gaza Strip.

The hospital, Gaza’s largest, is stretched far beyond its capacity following the al-Ahli explosion, General Director Mohammed Abu Selmia said Wednesday, adding that health workers were still treating severely wounded patients.

Aid workers, meantime, warned that life in Gaza was near complete collapse because of the Israeli siege that followed the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

PM, party leaders speak at antisemitism conference

As the Israel-Hamas war continues to roil, Canada’s political leaders spoke at a conference in Ottawa aimed at combating antisemitism, organized by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the crowd that Canada will remain a “friend” to Israel, adding that all Canadians stand with Israel in its grief. He also acknowledged a recent uptick in antisemitism aimed at Jewish communities across Canada since the war broke out.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, N-D-P Leader Jagmeet Singh and Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet also spoke.

Poilievre cautioned against applying a “moral equivalence” between the October 7th Hamas attack and Israel’s efforts to protect its civilians. Meanwhile, Singh addressed the rising tensions experienced by the Jewish community, as well as anti-Palestinian sentiments.

Canadians say lasting peace in Israel impossible

A majority of Canadians don’t think lasting peace is possible between Israelis and Palestinians, a new poll suggests.

Slightly more than half of the people responding to the Leger poll said lasting peace isn’t possible, while less than one-fifth said a peaceful solution can be reached.

The number who said peace is not possible hit 62 per cent among the people who also claimed to have a good understanding of the ongoing conflict.

The questions in the poll were designed by Leger in collaboration with the Association for Canadian Studies, and were asked online of 1,548 people in Canada between Oct. 13 and Oct. 15.

Convoy trial to hear from police liaison

A police liaison officer who communicated directly with “Freedom Convoy” protesters during the winter 2022 demonstrations is expected to testify today in the criminal trial of two of its organizers.

Const. Isabelle Cyr had been expected to address the court on Tuesday, but defence lawyers said they needed time to review notes and emails between Cyr and her colleagues during the protests.

The court wrapped up the testimony of five Ottawa residents on Tuesday.

Civilian witnesses in the trial have described a scene of overwhelming noise from truck horns and engines, and the persistent smell of diesel fumes during the protest in their testimony.

The two defendants, Chris Barber and Tamara Lich, are facing charges that include mischief and counselling others to commit mischief.

Canada must keep promises: UN human-rights chief

The United Nations human-rights chief says Canada can boost its chances of joining the council that monitors freedom around the world by better following up on the pledges it makes at home and abroad.

Volker Türk visited Ottawa this week to touch base on human-rights issues in general, including how they are handled in Canada and how Ottawa can best address issues abroad.

For example, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on residential schools presented its 94 calls to action to rectify what it called cultural genocide in June 2015.

But it took the Liberals seven years to table legislation to create an official body to monitor progress on those items, and the bill for a national council is still under study.

Türk said that no country is perfect, and he said it’s a good thing that Canadians often discuss where they are falling short. He said that this largely applies to its approach with Indigenous Peoples.

Still, he praised Ottawa and the provinces for coming up with action plans, but said they need to actually be followed.

Calls grow for Ontario to act on Marineland

Two months after the deaths of 14 whales and a dolphin at Marineland came to light, Ontario has refused to make public any steps taken to improve animal safety at the park, as critics demand action and transparency.

In August, The Canadian Press published figures on recent animal deaths at the Niagara Falls, Ont., tourist attraction. The data was contained in a list created by the Ministry of the Solicitor General as part of a freedom-of-information request.

With Marineland now closed for the off-season, the government is saying little publicly about its ongoing probe of the park, which began when the province took over enforcing animal cruelty laws from the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The Ministry of the Solicitor General has not revealed details of its investigation, including the causes of death for the animals.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2023

The Canadian Press