Trudeau calls for an immediate investigation into Gaza attacks

World

Published: 2018-05-17 12:48

Last Updated: 2024-03-28 16:12


Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called for an immediate and independent investigation into Israel's violent attacks on Gaza, while condemning what he referred to as an "excessive use of force."

Trudeau issued a statement to the parliamentary press gallery on Wednesday, stating that his country is willing to help make the investigation happen, along with its partners and international organizations.

“Reported use of excessive force and live ammunition is inexcusable. It is imperative we establish the facts of what is happening in Gaza. Canada calls for an immediate independent investigation,” Trudeau said in his statement.

A Canadian doctor was among the hundreds injured during the bloody clashes with Israel on Monday and Tuesday. Trudeau’s statement demanded that Israel's leaders explain how a London, Ont. doctor tending to injured protesters was caught in the crossfire,” reported Canada’s CBC news.

"Canada deplores and is gravely concerned by the violence in the Gaza Strip that has led to a tragic loss of life and injured countless people. We are appalled that Dr. Tarek Loubani, a Canadian citizen, is among the wounded — along with so many unarmed people, including civilians, members of the media, first responders, and children," he said.

"We are doing everything we can to assist Dr. Loubani and his family, and to determine how a Canadian citizen came to be injured. We are engaging with Israeli officials to get to the bottom of these events.”

More than 100 people were killed and thousands more injured since the beginning of the Great Return March demonstrations in Gaza on 30 March. Sixty three of those who died were killed on Monday, as hundreds demonstrated against the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem, the same day that marked the 70th anniversary of Nakba.