Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Politics

    • Joly condemns Hamas rapes of Israeli women after weeks of pressure

    Share
    OTTAWA -

    Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly is condemning sexual violence committed by Hamas during its attack on Israel, after weeks of pressure to speak out.

    "Using sexual violence as a tactic of war is a crime," Joly wrote Thursday on X, formerly known as Twitter.

    Joly made explicit reference to the brutal incursion two months ago by Hamas militants, who killed an estimated 1,200 people.

    Canada strongly condemns sexual and gender-based violence, she wrote, "including rape, perpetrated by Hamas against women in Israel on Oct. 7. We believe Israeli women."

    Opposition parties have been pressing the government for weeks to condemn the sexual violence by Hamas, at times arguing that it's not enough to simply speak out against violence in general.

    NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh told delegates at the party's convention Oct. 14 that "there can be no justification for the torture, murder and sexual violence committed by Hamas."

    Two weeks ago in Parliament, ConservativeMP Michelle Rempel Garner called on the governing Liberals to denounce the United Nations for not having condemned Hamas's sexual violence, which the organization ended up doing a week later.

    At the time, parliamentary secretary Pam Damoff responded that Canadacondemns Hamas's "actions against women and other civilians."

    Conservatives also took aim Thursday at Canada's embassy in Tel Aviv and its mission in Ramallah for a post on social media that the Tories say suggests Palestinians have been victims of sexual violence in the war between Israel and Hamas.

    "Sexual (and) gender-based violence impact both Israeli (and) Palestinian women and girls, and also men and boys, in distinct ways," the post reads.

    "Canada condemns all use of sexual and gender-based violence as a tactic of war. We advocate for justice for all victims and survivors."

    Seven minutes later, the embassy in Israel added that "we must acknowledge that Israeli women and girls have been profoundly impacted by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Accounts of brutal sexual violence during the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks are deeply concerning and must be investigated."

    Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman pounced on the original post, writing, "You can't even get this right." Added former Conservative senator Linda Frum: "Only one side is using rape as a tactic of war."

    Global Affairs Canada acknowledged but did not immediately address a request to clarify the original post.

    The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs is demanding the department explain the statement, which it called inaccurate and insensitive.

    "Now is not the time for misinformation (and) false moral equivalence. Only one side -- Hamas -- is using rape as a tactic of war," the Canadian group posted on X.

    The group also thanked Joly for speaking out. "There is no statute of limitations on demanding accountability for heinous crimes," it wrote.

    Israel's embassy in Ottawa opted to focus on Joly's comment over the other posts.

    "We do take Melanie Joly's tweet as the valid position that was stated by Canada," a spokeswoman told The Canadian Press.

    The government's Thursday statements came four days after Canada's envoy for combatting antisemitism called it an anti-Jewish double standard to question reports of Hamas militants raping Israeli women.

    "What we are seeing with the refusal/indifference to believe Jewish women who were sexually assaulted is a clear form of antisemitism," Deborah Lyons wrote Sunday on X, chastising women's groups.

    "Non-Jewish and non-Israeli women would not be questioned and challenged in this same way."

    In Edmonton, the University of Alberta replaced the head of its sexual assault centre last month for endorsing an open letter that questioned the validity of sexual assault claims against Hamas.

    In Israel, women's organizations have been calling on the international community to speak out for weeks, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized other countries Tuesday for not doing so.

    Yet police in Israel are still investigating what happened two months ago, after officials prioritized identifying bodies instead of preserving evidence, The Associated Press reported.

    Officials say they have found it difficult to find rape survivors because many of the people believed to be victims of such acts were killed by their attackers.

    Israeli embassies have shown reporters videos of Hamas atrocities during the Oct. 7 attack. One scene showed the body of a woman with no pants or undergarments, but none of the videos compiled from social media, security cameras and Hamas fighters showed sexual assaults.

    The group Physicians for Human Rights Israel, which has a record of advocating for Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip suffering under Israel's longtime blockade of the territory, published an initial assessment in November.

    "What we know for sure is that it was more than just one case and it was widespread, in that this happened in more than one location and more than a handful of times," Hadas Ziv, policy and ethics director for the organization, said Tuesday.

    "What we don't know and what the police are investigating is whether it was ordered to be done and whether it was systematic."

    Hamas has rejected allegations that its gunmen committed sexual assault.

    On Dec. 1, UN Women said it condemned Hamas for "numerous accounts of gender-based atrocities and sexual violence during those attacks" on Oct. 7.

    "This is why we have called for all accounts of gender-based violence to be duly investigated and prosecuted, with the rights of the victim at the core," the agency wrote.

    The agency's statement came after it had already raised the alarm about Palestinian women in the Gaza Strip being displaced and widowed by Israel's bombardment, which the UN says violated international law.

    The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said it requested access to Israel and the Palestinian territories to allow it to collect information on the Hamas attack, including sexual violence.

    Israel says the office has pre-existing biases against Israel and it will not co-operate with the body.

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 7, 2023.

    -- With files from The Associated Press

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

    A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Pasquale Monaco says he’s debating whether to keep renting out the two-bedroom basement apartment of the Montreal building he owns after it was flooded — again — in August, when the remnants of tropical storm Debby sent four feet of water rushing into the space.

    Childhood sleep issues may raise suicide risk, study finds

    If your child sometimes has trouble sleeping, it may be easy to chalk it up to a phase they will grow out of one day. But a new study suggests possible serious consequences for this line of thought — such as a higher risk for suicidal ideation or attempts when they are older.

    Canada

    • The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.

    • A man is facing numerous drug trafficking charges after Dufferin OPP seized a large assortment of drugs and weapons in Orangeville earlier this week.

    • Pasquale Monaco says he’s debating whether to keep renting out the two-bedroom basement apartment of the Montreal building he owns after it was flooded — again — in August, when the remnants of tropical storm Debby sent four feet of water rushing into the space.

    • The London Police Service (LPS) is currently investigating a suspicious death in the east end.

    • One person has died following a shooting in Scarborough late last night.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    • Jonathan Aranda homered for the second consecutive game, helping Taj Bradley and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 on Saturday.

    • Kiefer Sherwood spent several nights last spring chasing Quinn Hughes around the ice and generally pestering the Vancouver Canucks.

    • Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

    Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

    They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

    Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

    The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

    The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

    It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

    • A six-year-old girl who was reported missing in northern B.C. earlier this week remains unaccounted for, and "significant resources from across the province" have joined in the search, police said Saturday.

    • Volunteers and staff members gathered along Vancouver’s Stanley Park Seawall Saturday to pick up litter as part of International Coastal Cleanup Day.

    • A heritage home in Vancouver suffered "extensive damage" in a fire that broke out late Saturday morning, according to firefighters.

    • One person has died following a shooting in Scarborough late last night.

    • A man who was critically injured in an eight-vehicle pileup in Milton Friday has died of his injuries in hospital.

    • Police are looking for witnesses after one man was injured in a shooting outside of a sports bar in Hamilton Saturday night.

    • Milla White from Cochrane literally drew her way into a meeting with former boxer and actor Mickey Rourke.

    • The water coming from your taps might be a bit murky Saturday, but Calgary remains on schedule to end all water restrictions on Sunday.

    • For 12 hours Saturday Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPCK) employees, service personnel and corporate teams rode spin bikes to raise funds and awareness for charities focusing on housing homeless veterans in Canada and the U.S.

    • A potential move to LeBreton Flats for the Ottawa Senators is still years away, but questions and concerns are already being raised about what to do with the Canadian Tire Centre.

    • The Taste of Wellington 2024 wraps up Saturday in Ottawa.

    • A body has been found in the vicinity where a woman went missing on the Ottawa River near Pembroke, Ont. while kayaking Tuesday night, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

    • Pasquale Monaco says he’s debating whether to keep renting out the two-bedroom basement apartment of the Montreal building he owns after it was flooded — again — in August, when the remnants of tropical storm Debby sent four feet of water rushing into the space.

    • A 19-year-old man is in critical condition after being stabbed in Montreal on Saturday.

    • A cyclist died after being hit by a van in Val-d'Or, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, on Saturday.

    • The Edmonton Police Service is looking for a person of interest in connection with a suspicious fire that destroyed a multi-unit building and damaged several townhomes earlier this week.

    • Tattoos are becoming more common in today's society and, as a result, appear to be more acceptable in the workplace than they used to be.

    • Two people have been charged after a daylight shooting in Red Deer earlier this week.

    • A proposal for additional parking to accommodate upgrades at the Irving Pulp & Paper Mill in Saint John, N.B., would add an estimated 500 parking spots at Wolastoq Park.

    • A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.

    • Childhood sleep issues may raise suicide risk, study finds

      If your child sometimes has trouble sleeping, it may be easy to chalk it up to a phase they will grow out of one day. But a new study suggests possible serious consequences for this line of thought — such as a higher risk for suicidal ideation or attempts when they are older.

    • The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    • A herd of dogs paid visit to patients and residents at Riverview Health Centre during an annual event that lifts spirits and wags tails.

    • While slang may come and go, experts say the phenomenon behind them, which constantly churns out brand-new bon mots, is as old as language itself.

    • Fire officials are investigating after a fire completely destroyed the community fridge in the Cathedral neighborhood.

    • The last two months after losing her daughter Bella have been extremely difficult for Kyla Thomson.

    • Regina police arrested three youths in connection to a bear mace incident at a Regina high school on Friday.

    • The Cambridge Professional Fire Fighters’ Association held their annual Muscular Dystrophy Boot Drive on Saturday.

    • Protests were held in front of Kitchener City Hall on Friday, both for and against LGBTQ2S+ inclusive education and queer rights in schools.

    • Police said the pedestrian, a 52-year-old man, was taken to an out-of-region hospital with life-threatening injuries and the driver of the vehicle failed to remain at the scene.

    • The 75-year-old building, formerly the Waskesiu Chamber of Commerce building, was relocated to the Parks Canada compound on the edge of the townsite.

    • Saskatchewan RCMP major crimes unit is investigating after a man’s body was found on Sweetgrass First Nation.

    • Motors were roaring, and tires were spinning as Saskatoon's biggest names in motocross gathered together for the 50-year anniversary of the club's founding on Saturday.

    • The identity of a motorcyclist has been revealed by loved ones on social media following Friday’s fatal south end collision in London. The London Police Service has not released anything regarding the driver’s identity.

    • Huron County OPP are investigating a serious single vehicle collision that took place west of Seaforth.

    • A motorcyclist has died following a serious collision that took place in London’s south end on Friday afternoon.

    • The Barrie Skateboard Association (BSA) hosted a unique competition at the City's Skate Park on Saturday to celebrate its 25th anniversary, which showcased the park's importance and the growth of skateboarding in the region.

    • A man is facing numerous drug trafficking charges after Dufferin OPP seized a large assortment of drugs and weapons in Orangeville earlier this week.

    • One person is in hospital after an e-bike crash in Orillia on Thursday.

    • video

      video

      The Amherstburg Uncommon Festival is living up to its name with the addition of a drone light show — a first for Essex County.

    • The Amherstburg Freedom Museum is celebrating a year of festivities in anticipation of its 50th anniversary in 2025.

    • The St. Clair College golf teams were successful at the Niagara Knights Invitational tournament on Friday.

    • A man who was found dead behind a curling rink in Nanaimo, B.C., earlier this month was the victim of a homicide, police confirmed.

    • A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

    • A six-year-old girl who was reported missing in northern B.C. earlier this week remains unaccounted for, and "significant resources from across the province" have joined in the search, police said Saturday.

    • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

    • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

    • Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls – including one that gave birth to 10 puppies – from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.

    • Despite the heavy rain, plenty of muscle turned up for United Way’s annual Pull the Bus fundraiser in Lethbridge Friday.

    • Lethbridge County has rescinded its fire restriction as a result of the recent cool, wet weathr.

    • The Lethbridge Hurricanes kicked off the 2024-25 season on a winning note Friday night, defeating the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-1 in a game played at VisitLethbridge.com Arena.

    • A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

    • Following an outbreak of COVID-19 on its continuing care floor and just ahead of the flu season, St. Joseph’s General Hospital in Elliot Lake has opted to re-introduce a universal masking policy until further notice.

    • A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹ӰÊÓ