Hamas's Role and Responsibility for Palestinian Suffering

"The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognize Hamas's role and responsibility for the situation."

"Hamas is the sole party responsible for the continuation of the war and the suffering on both sides."

"At these sensitive moments in the ongoing negotiations, it is better to avoid statements of this kind."

"Instead of agreeing to a ceasefire, Hamas is busy running a campaign to spread lies about Israel. At the same time, Hamas is deliberately acting to increase friction and harm to civilians who come to receive humanitarian aid."  

Oren Marmorstein, Israel foreign affairs ministry spokesperson 

 

"The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. the Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity."

"We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food."

"[We call on the Israeli government to lift all restrictions on aid delivery and to] enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs [to do their work safely and effectively]."

Joint statement, foreign ministers of France, Britain, Japan, Canada and 24 others 

Palestinian terrorists move towards the border fence with Israel from Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on October 7.   Said Khatib/AFP/Getty Images

 

Those who signed the joint statement urging that "the war in Gaza must end now", calling on Israel to put a stop to displacing Palestinians, also condemned Hamas for continuing to hold hostages taken from Israel in the October 7, 2023 atrocities, calling for their immediate release. Adding that it is "horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid"; a death toll based on figures released both by the UN human rights office and the Hamas-operated health ministry in Gaza. 

 

The United Nations and its offshoots such as UNRWA are notorious for their underlying support for Hamas, since it was proven that UNRWA employs Hamas operatives some of whom were active participants in the October 7 atrocities that took place in  southern Israel. The cooperation between UN member-bodies and Hamas extends to the full acceptance of all Hamas propaganda statements, inclusive of body counts and accusations of Israel withholding food and medical supplies from Palestinian civilians.

 

This, when it has been well documented that Hamas itself has appropriated humanitarian aid supplied by the UN and stockpiling it in Hamas warehouses, withheld from the civilian population, most often ending up in open air markets where the humanitarian aid sells for inflated prices, the profit of which enhances Hamas's bottom line. Claims of starvation among the populace ignore the reality that many areas of Gaza have more than ample food as marketplaces and videos on social media posted by Gazans themselves demonstrate.

 

Photographs of some of those taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7 attack on Israel.   Leon Neal/Getty Images

 

That Palestinians in Gaza are suffering from the incursion of the IDF whose purpose is to defang and neutralize the terrorists that have attacked Israeli citizens for decades, culminating in the savagery of October 7, is a result of Hamas deliberately placing them in harm's way to enhance their propaganda of Israel planning a genocide of Palestinians, a narrative picked up by the Western press and given the credence that is denied Israel's denials. 

 

While the West presses Israel for a ceasefire, it ignores the simple and obvious reality that Hamas rejects that ceasefire. That a terrorist group's contentions can influence the critical thought processes of Western leaders is beyond belief, while those same leaders hold Israel to a standard that they themselves would never countenance if their nations were under attack. For Israel to unilaterally stand back and allow Hamas to continue reorganizing, rearming, and replanning attacks against the Jewish state with the intention of destroying it seems to make no inroads in the mental gymnastics the West engages in.

 

Decrying an expansion of West Bank settlements and the move to separate the West Bank from East Jerusalem, is a lesson in total hypocrisy. The Palestinians have never been satisfied with having the West Bank and Gaza Strip to themselves; they make no secret in demanding the eradication of Israel to enable their sovereignty over the entire geographic area 'from the river (Jordan) to the (Mediterranean) sea, Israel's ancestral patrimony. None of the nations decrying these issues would consider surrendering their capital cities to upstarts, yet with the steady migration of Islamism this is what their future augurs.

 

The 'two-state solution' they insist on imposing on Israel, has been rejected time and time again by Palestinian leaders. Their ideal is a one-state solution, and it is that ideal that they focus on, allowing others to speak of a two-state solution they themselves have no intention of acceding to, and so they continue to deny the 'legality' of Israel's existence. 

 

Palestinians carry supplies from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in May in this file photo.  (Hatem Khaled/Reuters)

 

The food supplies entering Gaza through the auspices of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor supported by both Israel and the United States, actually provides meals and food products and fuel and medical supplies directly to Palestinian civilians, entirely bypassing Hamas's opportunities to ransack the aid delivery trucks, removing its 'authority' to claim the aid for its own purposes. Hamas has punished Palestinians for going directly to the GHF distribution sites, as traitors to the Hamas cause of exterminating Israel. 

 

The United States, Qatar, Egypt  and Germany did not sign the letter. The first three remain at work on  a feasible ceasefire; all of their efforts to date have been rejected by Hamas. Hamas, a terrorist group whose atrocities are in and of themselves an assault in human decency, permitted to exert control because of the back-handed support given it by negotiating with it to begin with, is controlling the narrative. And the democratic state that is an outpost of Western civilization in a generally uncivilized Middle East doing catch-up to the modern era, is once again a sacrificial gift to the forces of evil. 

 

Armed Palestinians sit on trucks carrying humanitarian aid near the Zikim border crossing between Israel and Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, June 25, 2025. (Ali Qariqa/Flash90)

 

Hate Speech Defined, Condemned, and Defended

"There's an unprecedented rise in antisemitism in Canada."

"We need to do anything we possibly can to stem this tide, and we need to appeal to all levels of government including the federal government, to take the lead."

Talia Klein Leighton, petition organizer

 

"They [Canada's political leaders] hide behind ambiguity, ignorance and definitions to avoid taking action."

"This petition forces the issue and demands that those we trust to keep us safe stop hiding and do their jobs"

"It also calls for the Trudeau government, who have shown their cowardice, to follow our democratic allies in the U.S., Germany and Austria in recognizing the chant "from the river to the sea" for what it is in Hamas terms -- a call for genocide and the elimination of the State of Israel."

Kevin Vuong, Independent Member for Parliament for Toronto

 

"From the river to the sea [is unequivocally hateful and antisemitic]."

"It only has one interpretation -- what it effectively calls for is the destruction of the Jewish state."

"And then when  you take it into the context of the companion cry for a global intifada, then it extends not just to the Jewish state, but to the Jewish people, and is consistent with what Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and Iran have been threatening that they intend to do." 

Shimon Koffler Fogel, CEO, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs

The entrance to a Pro-Palestinian encampment in an area that was fenced off at the University of Toronto campus in downtown Toronto on May 2, 2024. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Post

There are some who claim that the hate-and-extermination messages - chorused against Israel and global Jewry by protesters at organized public venues where a show of force and clear racism has been played in public since early October, with repeats on an ongoing basis -- are well within the law of free speech rights under the Canadian constitution. There are hate laws in Canada to protect the public and discrete groups from discrimination severe enough to be viewed as threats and intimidation. The speech in and of itself of a quality that speaks of endangering the well-being of others.

The regular protests targeting the social weal and Canadian Jews in particular are threatening in nature and are meant to send a number of messages; that Jews are unsafe in their home country, that Israel's reputation as a democratic nation for which human rights is ensured, is open to slander, statements of 'fact' outright hostile fabrications that do damage that reality and true facts struggle to correct among a force of antisemitism that has no use for truth.

The viral and ever-rising antisemitic events of intimidation and threats carried out in municipal offices, in front of and within shopping centres, hospitals, Jewish community centres, synagogues and Jewish parochial schools, have morphed more latterly into university campus occupations, leaving Jewish students, non-Jewish students, university staff and members of the faculty concerned for their security and safety, as well as for their inability to reach their classes. Authority figures, whether university administrators, provincial or federal governments have done nothing useful to uphold law and order and ensure public safety.

Now, a petition has been circulated to attempt to persuade those authorities -- city mayors, police chiefs, governments at all levels, including those of the universities involved -- to become more steadfast, reliable and active in putting an end to what amounts to racist hate-fests. The rallying cries of 'Palestine will be free', 'globalize the intefadeh', and 'long live Oct7' have no place in a civil society. What the petition asserts is that these expressions interpreted, contravene portions of Section 319 of the Criminal Code of Canada through the wilful promotion of hatred.

The phrases in question have been outlawed in recognition of their quality of hateful rhetoric that could lead to violence, in a number of other countries. The petition states that the popular slogans denigrating Israel's existence and Jews in general "implicitly raises reasonable suspicions of supporting the events of Oct. 7 and inciting hatred toward the Jewish people". It is generally agreed that the chant calling for the eradication of Israel and its citizens is meant to promote a Palestinian state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.

True North

"While I hate these statements and while I happen to be of the view that 'from the river to the sea' is an antisemitic and probably genocidal chant, I don't think it's a clear cut case enough for Section 319."

"If you look at the text of Section 319, it says 'communicates a statement that is likely to lead to a breach of the peace' -- and somebody in Canada chanting 'from the river to the sea', I don't think reaches that very specific high threshold."

"[Other statements the petition mentions like "Long Live Oct 7" [are different]. It's very difficult to say that in a peaceful way."

"We take a strong free speech position because we think that if the mechanism for dealing with disagreements in society through speech breaks down, all we have left is violence."

Joanna Baron, executive director, Canadian Constitution Foundation

Intimidation, Harassment = Fear

"There is a  high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting U.K. interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the U.K. and British nationals as targets. You should remain vigilant at all times."

"Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Canada."

"Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners. You should remain aware of your surroundings, keep up to date with local media reports and follow the advice of local authorities."

British government travel advisory

A person draped in a Union Jack passes the British High Commission in Ottawa after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Photo by DAVE CHAN /Getty

"We are continuing to make sure that we are doing everything we possibly can to keep Canadians safe."

"We understand that these are trying times around the world right now, but the best thing we can do as Canadians is stay true to our values, be respectful of one another, feel each other's pain, and be there to support others through these very difficult times of a rise in hatred, including Islamophobia and antisemitism."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Protesters hold Palestinian flags outside the U.S. Consulate in Toronto on Saturday. (Kyaw Soe Oo/Reuters)

 

At a time when Hamas supporters marching under the guise of pro-Palestinian sentiments have been rampaging through the streets of Canada's cities, chanting phrases for the destruction of Israel, when Islamist thugs threaten pro-Israel counter-protesters, and Jewish community centres and synagogues are fire-bombed, Jewish parochial schools are found with bullet holes shot at their doors, and Jewish university students face harassment and threats and physical violence, while Jewish businesses are boycotted, Canada's prime minister, calling for calm and civility mentions 'Islamophobia' as a concern, before remembering to mention antisemitism.

All the more cynical -- and it would be amusing under less dire circumstances -- when it is Muslims and Islamophiles that are the source of threats to Jews. Perhaps less surprising than it might be in a recollection that this prime minister's father, Pierre Elliot Trudeau invited the UN representative of the Palestine Liberation Organization -- at a time when the PLO was officially designated as a terrorist organization -- to Canada, to speak in Parliament, in 1984.

And it is telling, somehow that the government of Britain views the threat level in Canada assessed by the United Kingdom's intelligence officials to be on the 'high' spectrum, in contrast to Canada's lack of concern. The U.K. government website posting a link to the web page for national terrorism threat levels for Canada where the current level seems to remain stuck at medium: "a violent act of terrorism could occur"; the middle of five levels.

One level up, "high" means a violent act of terrorism is likely, while the highest level, "critical", indicates a warning that an act is highly likely and could occur imminently. The British warning of "very likely" translates as attacks falling between the two highest levels. The current level listed on the Canadian website has been in place at "medium" for about ten years, dating back to October 2014.

During Question Period in the House of Commons the issue was addressed when Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative opposition leader, asked the prime minister whether he agreed with the assessment of the U.K. Foreign Office assessment."Terrorists", noted Mr. Poilievre, "are not interested in feeling other people's pain; they are interested in causing other people pain", inviting the prime minister to expound on the difference in threat level assessment.

 

A pro-Palestinian demonstrator uses a megaphone to address a crowd in Toronto. There were four pro-Palestinian rallies in the city on Friday. (Prasanjeet Choudhury/CBC)

 

"I cannot speak to how other countries make their determination on travel advisories, but I can say that the work is done daily in Canada to assess the threat level to Canadians and what can be communicated to keep them safe. We elevated the threat level to medium in 2014, and it has remained at that level since. Every single day, we re-evaluate and ensure that we are doing everything we can, privately and publicly to keep Canadians safe. We have top security agencies and officials who work daily to re-assess the threat levels to Canadians. They are working every single day to keep Canadians safe and they will continue to keep Canadians informed on the best ways to keep safe."

Statements that will offer no comfort whatever to the Jews in Canada whose children fear attending school because of being bullied by children of Arab or Muslim origins, Jewish students at institutes of higher learning who face harassment and threats from Arab/Muslim fellow students, shopkeepers whose premises see gatherings of protesters blocking access to customers, and Jewish homeowners removing mezuzahs from their door frames because they identify the houses as belonging to Jewish residents.

The threats and the violence and the fear are all real and they are happening on the streets of Canadian cities where confrontations take place that escalate dangerously as some in the pro-Palestinian crowds shout neighbourly blessings such as "gas them" or call for the destruction of Israel. These threats to peoples' safety and comfort living in a country which Jews have been part of since the 16th Century represent a level of implied terrorism, but this government that professes equality among all, has done nothing to quell the violence as a reassurance to Canadian Jews.

The fear of alienating Liberal followers at the ballot box is obviously far more compelling than the protection and reassurance geared toward a portion of the population smaller in number than their opponents. "It's not for the U.K. government to comment upon the Canadian government's assessment of the threat from terrorism", stated a spokesman for the British High Commission in Canada, whose own government has done precious little to reassure their own Jewish population much less protect them from the rabid attacks of U.K. Islamists.

A Pro-Palestinian rally at Queen's Park drew more than 500 people on Friday afternoon. (Prasanjeet Choudhury/CBC)