MP Salma Zahid Again Urges Prime Minister Trudeau to Call for an Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza

December 5, 2023

Prime Minister,

On October 20th, I wrote to you regarding the conflict in Palestine and the urgent need for Canada to call for a ceasefire to protect the lives of innocent civilians. I thank you for your reply last week, where you outlined Canada’s efforts on humanitarian aid, calling for a humanitarian pause, and the evacuation of Canadians. I write to you today to update on recent developments that make the need for a cease fire even more urgent.

As you know, a temporary truce was negotiated that allowed a number of hostages to be returned to their families, prisoners to be released, and the delivery of badly needed humanitarian aid to increase. Unfortunately, this truce could not hold. The fighting has resumed at an even more intense pace than before, and the delivery of aid remains woefully insufficient to the need.

There is no longer any safe place for the innocent civilians of Gaza. Told to move to the South of Gaza, the fighting is now as intense in the South, and they have now been told to evacuate the South as well. Up to 1.8 million Gazans – 80 per cent of the population – have been displaced. Where are the innocent civilians to go? No where is safe.

Since this most recent conflict began, more than 15,500 Palestinian people have been confirmed killed in Gaza – including more than 6,600 Palestinian children. Many more are likely buried under the rubble. As parents, how do we explain this to our children?

We have rightly said that all parties have a legal and moral responsibility to protect innocent civilians. How is that statement squared with over 15,500 civilian deaths?

This long-standing conflict cannot and will not be solved militarily. It can only be solved when the legitimate representatives of the Palestinian people and the Israeli people sit down together to resolve their differences and work toward a just and fair two-state solution.

I continue to call for an immediate cease fire to protect innocent civilian lives, the return of all hostages to their families, and for dialogue and negotiation to resolve the longstanding differences.

Prime Minister, Canadians are looking to you and they are looking to our government. They are looking for us to be a voice for peace, for human rights, for social justice. They are looking us to pick up the mantle of moral leadership. They are urging Canada to call for an immediate cease fire and an end to the violence.

Please, Prime Minister, answer their call. Cease fire now.

Sincerely,

Salma Zahid, MP