Canadian politicians are pushing back on the idea of clearing Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip as an Israeli minister suggests some of them could be sent to Canada.
鈥淲e support Palestinians鈥� right to self-determination, including from being forcibly displaced from Gaza,鈥� Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly wrote on the online platform X on Wednesday.
The previous day, U.S. President Donald Trump stunned leaders across the Middle East and beyond when he suggested that the territory be cleared out and made into a U.S.-owned resort destination.
Human Rights Watch and similar groups say Trump鈥檚 plan would amount to ethnic cleansing.
While White House aides and various analysts have suggested other ideas for American involvement, Trump doubled down on his proposal Thursday, saying 鈥渢he Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting,鈥� by which point Palestinians 鈥渨ould have already been resettled.鈥�
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz wrote Thursday on X that he鈥檇 instructed Israeli鈥檚 military to draft a plan to evacuate 鈥渁ny resident of Gaza who wishes to leave鈥� to be resettled to willing countries abroad.
鈥淐ountries like Canada, which has a structured immigration program, have previously expressed willingness to take in residents from Gaza,鈥� he wrote.
Ottawa鈥檚 only resettlement program for Gazans is limited to people with relatives in Canada, and only a small portion of the applications 鈥� currently capped at 5,000 鈥� have resulted in Palestinians actually making it to Canada.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada did not immediately respond when asked for the latest figures on Palestinian resettlement. In its last public disclosure release, issued in late May 2024, it said just 41 people had arrived as of May 20. CBC News reported last month that just 616 people had arrived under the temporary program.
Before Katz made his comments, Joly said Canada is still calling for a two-state solution 鈥� the creation of a Palestinian state that would exist in peace alongside Israel.
鈥淐anada鈥檚 long-standing position on Gaza has not changed,鈥� she wrote Wednesday on the platform X.
International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen, Justice Minister Arif Virani and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh were among a dozen MPs who also pushed back on Trump鈥檚 idea.
Hussen, Virani and seven other Liberal MPs released a statement calling Trump鈥檚 idea 鈥減reposterous and a complete violation of international law鈥� and saying that 鈥渋t amounts to ethnic cleansing.鈥�
Singh said that Trump鈥檚 comments 鈥渄estabilize鈥� the Middle East and threaten the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. 鈥淭rump鈥檚 threats are utter madness. They violate every international law,鈥� he wrote in a post on X.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs deferred comment to the Israeli embassy in Ottawa, which did not provide an immediate response.
The Gaza Strip was established as a Palestinian territory after Palestinians were displaced across the region during the creation of the State of Israel.
Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt already host millions of Palestinian refugees and say it would be inappropriate to remove more Palestinians from their homeland.
Israel rejects the United Nations鈥� designation of Palestinians as refugees, saying this creates an illegitimate idea of them returning to land that is now Israel. Israeli officials also have argued that the Jewish people have ancestral ties to the land.
Mona Abuamara, the Palestinian ambassador in Ottawa, said that Israeli 鈥渢errorist settlers鈥� in occupied Palestinian territories are the ones who should be moved to other countries. She said another alternative is to have Palestinians take back land that is now Israel.
鈥淚f you don鈥檛 want to move forward, we can happily go back,鈥� she wrote on X.
In late 2023, amid reports that the Israeli government was looking to send Palestinians to countries like Canada, Immigration Minister Marc Miller dismissed talk of a 鈥渟o-called 鈥榲oluntary transfer鈥� of Gazans out of Gaza鈥� to Canada.
