Canada Pledges $100 Million in Aid for Palestinians, Eyes Gaza Police Training

Canada has announced $100 million in new international assistance for Palestinians, with the bulk of the funding directed at humanitarian relief in Gaza and the remainder aimed at building security capacity.

Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled the pledge on Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, saying the money is intended to help shift the trajectory of a conflict that has caused immense suffering. Of the total, $80 million is earmarked for humanitarian aid, while $20 million will support peace and security capacity building.

Carney said Canada remains committed to helping create a Palestinian state that can live in peace alongside Israel, noting that the two-state solution motivated Ottawa's recognition of the State of Palestine a year ago, alongside preconditions for the Palestinian Authority to reform its governance. A year on, he said, the prospect of a two-state solution remains distant.

Speaking at an event with his French, British and Saudi Arabian counterparts, Carney described the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying the territory is now home to the greatest number of child amputees in modern history and that its hospitals, schools and maternal clinics have been destroyed and not rebuilt.

The $20 million in development funding for security initiatives includes top-up support for a multi-year project to train Palestinian police. Canada currently leads the training of Palestinian police officers in the West Bank through Operation Proteus, a mission involving the RCMP. Carney said Canada stands ready to extend that support to Gaza when conditions permit.

He also addressed the Israeli government's endorsement of the E1 settlement scheme, saying Canada and its partners recognize the direct threat it poses to peace. With reluctance, he said, Canada has announced its intention to bring forward trade restrictions targeting goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements, describing the move as a pragmatic action aimed at preserving the possibility of a two-state solution.

Ottawa has now pledged more than $600 million in aid for Palestinian civilians since the war in Gaza began in October. New documents tabled in Parliament this week list damage to dozens of Canadian-funded aid projects caused by Israel's military and settlers.

Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, a group that advocates for Palestinians, criticized the new funding as missing the core of the problem. Its vice-president, Michael Bueckert, said it feels deeply unserious for Canada to champion humanitarian projects for Palestinians when it will not hold Israel accountable for bombing or demolishing those same initiatives.

On other matters, Carney said Canada is making good progress in trade negotiations with India, calling the relationship exceptionally important on people-to-people, security and economic levels. He said he looks forward to hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi around the G20 summit in mid-December, following a commitment made at last year's G20 to conclude negotiations.