Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Thursday that Ottawa has not made a decision regarding the resumption of funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) following Israeli accusations that 12 agency employees were involved in the attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on October 7.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported late Tuesday, citing an unnamed government official, that Canada would reverse its decision made on January 26 to halt any new funding for the agency. In response to questions about this report, Trudeau stated that Ottawa is awaiting the results of the United Nations' internal investigation into the Israeli allegations.
The Prime Minister, speaking with reporters in Toronto, said, "We won’t announce anything today... We will continue to study this situation. We will continue to await the United Nations as it investigates what is happening within this organization." He added, "The ongoing humanitarian disaster and crisis in Gaza breaks all of our hearts. We understand how important it is to deliver aid to Gaza," noting that residents in the region face the risk of famine.
Trudeau mentioned that indifference to what is happening in Gaza is unacceptable, remarking that "Canadians have very strong feelings about the conflict." The police in Toronto, Canada’s largest city, reported a notable rise in hate crimes related to anti-Semitism or against Muslims since the war began.
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters blocked entrances to a building in Toronto on Saturday, where Trudeau was scheduled to host a reception for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, resulting in the cancellation of the event.
