Canada reaffirms its support for Palestinians’ right to self-determination after Trump eyes Gaza

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly reaffirmed her country's "longstanding position" on Gaza and expressed solidarity with Palestinians after US President Donald Trump announced plans to "take over the Gaza Strip."

"Canada’s longstanding position on Gaza has not changed. We are committed to achieving a two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians can live securely within internationally recognized borders," Joly said Wednesday on her X account.

"We support Palestinians’ right to self-determination, including from being forcibly displaced from Gaza," she added, while opposing any role for the Palestinian group Hamas in the governing of Gaza.

Trump’s proposal to relocate Palestinians in Gaza first came after a ceasefire agreement took effect in the enclave on Jan. 19, suspending Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians and left the enclave in ruins.

The “US will take over the Gaza Strip,” he told a news conference Tuesday evening alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

He repeated that the Gazan population should be moved to countries like Jordan and Egypt, with the US turning the land into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”