As per an official government source, Canada has suspended its arms shipments to Israel. This decision follows a period during which Ottawa exclusively exported “non-lethal” items like communications equipment to Israel, beginning after the deadly October 7 attacks by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. According to the source, no exports have taken place since January.
Israel has historically been a major recipient of Canadian arms exports. In 2022, Radio Canada reported that military materiel worth CAN$ 21 million was exported to Israel, following a figure of CAN$ 26 million in 2021, placing Israel among the top 10 recipients of Canadian arms exports.
In March, a coalition comprising lawyers and Canadians of Palestinian descent filed a complaint against the Canadian government, seeking the suspension of arms exports to Israel, alleging violations of both domestic and international law.
On the other hand, ceasefire talks between an Israeli delegation and mediators from Qatar, the US, and Egypt have entered their third day in Doha. The Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman, speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, expressed cautious optimism about the talks, highlighting the importance of avoiding any attacks on Rafah, which could negatively impact the negotiations. Discussions in Doha are also focused on increasing humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave.
Mossad chief David Barnea, who led the Israeli delegation, returned to Tel Aviv on Tuesday for a war cabinet meeting. Israeli officials discussed proposals and counterproposals made during the Doha talks. An unnamed senior Israeli official expressed pessimism about reaching a deal, raising doubts about whether Hamas’s leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, genuinely seeks an agreement or is merely stalling for time.
