MONTREAL (AFP) – Canada is halting its arms shipments to Israel, a Canadian government source told AFP Tuesday.
The move comes as Ottawa has only exported “non-lethal” shipments such as communications equipment to Israel since the deadly war in the Gaza Strip.
No exports have taken place since January, the source added.
Israel has historically been a top receiver of Canadian arms exports, with CAD21 million worth of military materiel exported to Israel in 2022, according to Radio Canada, following CAD26 million in shipments in 2021.
That places Israel among the top 10 recipients of Canadian arms exports.
In March, a coalition of lawyers and Canadians of Palestinian origin lodged a complaint against the Canadian government seeking to suspend arms exports to Israel, saying Ottawa was violating both domestic and international law.
On Monday, the Canadian Parliament passed a nonbinding resolution calling for the international community to work toward a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.
The bloodiest-ever Gaza war has killed at least 31,819 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
While affirming Israel’s right to defend itself, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has taken an increasingly critical stance toward Israel as civilian deaths have mounted in Gaza.
