Canada’s government is “assessing the damage” from the destruction of a 25-year-old water treatment plant in Gaza and is calling on Israel to conduct a full and independent investigation into what happened, the country’s international development minister said.
“We have expressed our concerns to the Israeli government and called for a credible, independent investigation into what happened at this facility,” Ahmed Husen told CBC News in an interview.
“Any damage to structures supplying badly needed water and other supplies to civilians is completely unacceptable.”
Over the weekend, a video began circulating on social media showing explosives being planted at a compound known as “Canada Well” in Tel Sultan, Rafah district.
The video also showed the well collapsing due to the explosion.
The Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Monday The country’s military, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), was investigating the destruction.Haaretz quoted an anonymous military source as saying the site was destroyed with the approval of military commanders, but not senior IDF officers.
In a statement, the Israeli embassy in Canada told CBC News that Canada’s request for an investigation is still being processed and reviewed in Israel.
Defends Israel and Hamas’ approach to the conflict
Hussen also defended the government’s policy positions on the current conflict between Israel and Hamas, including his office’s role in temporarily freezing funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) earlier this year.
The decision comes as the Israeli government accuses some of the company’s employees of taking part in a deadly attack on Israel on October 7.
Hussen announced on March 8 that funding would be resumed.
“They are a lifeline for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the region. We have been very careful to work with the UN secretary-general, UNRWA itself, all donor countries and the internal mechanisms for accountability and integrity within the UN,” he said.
But he offered no timeline on an issue that has dominated foreign policy politics in both Canada and its allies in recent months: whether to recognize an independent Palestinian state.
Canada has previously voted against such resolutions, and in May abstained from a key UN vote on the issue.
“Our new position is a shift and what we are saying now is that we should not necessarily wait until the end of negotiations. [between Israel and a Palestinian government] We recognize the state of Palestine,” Hussen said.
“And we will probably do it sooner than that, at a time of our own choosing and at a time that we think will most effectively contribute to the peace process.”
vow to run again
Hussen also said he would run in the next election and maintained he had full confidence in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s leadership despite the Liberal party’s struggles in the past year’s elections.
Toronto Star Last week’s article, Unnamed Liberal MPs call for government reformThis includes the dismissal of Mr. Hussen.
Hussen said he had not heard about the story and would not respond to “unsourced comments, rumours or innuendo”.
“If I did, I’d have to be here all day because there are 338 members of Congress,” he said. “It’s hard to respond to nameless, faceless comments when you know there’s an insinuation to all of them.”
