Ottawa blames Hamas for civilian deaths at school
Harper government's staunch support for Israel stands in sharp contrast with international reaction to incident
OTTAWA -- Canada's Conservative government says Hamas is responsible for civilian deaths at a UN school where Israeli mortar fire killed at least 40 yesterday, arguing they have used civilians to shield fighters.
The Harper government says a ceasefire can work only if Hamas not only stops rocket attacks but permanently disarms, maintaining a staunchly pro-Israel position as many other Western nations pressed for an immediate ceasefire.
The Israeli military operation in Gaza has now killed more than 660, including an Israeli mortar blast yesterday at a United-Nations-operated school in Jabalya, northeast of Gaza City, where at least 40 were killed. Six Israeli soldiers and four civilians have been killed.
Canada's junior foreign minister, Peter Kent, said that despite sketchy details on the school strike, it is clear that Hamas "bears the full responsibility for the deepening humanitarian tragedy....
Mr. Kent also said that Canadian officials were working with Israeli officials to help 39 Canadian citizens leave Gaza. They were stranded yesterday for a second straight day when Israeli officials said it was too risky to try to bus them across northern Gaza's Erez Crossing into Israel, then on to Jordan.
One of the Canadians seeking to get out of Gaza, Marwan Diab, said in a telephone interview that Canadian embassy officials told him by phone that the Red Cross would try to get him out today with his wife and four children, ages 9, 7, 5 and 3.
"They are very terrified, and they are not really able to handle it," he said of his children.
Mr. Diab, 39, emigrated to Calgary in 1994 but said he has for several years spent part of each year in Gaza where he works for a mental-health organization.
"There is no safe place anywhere in Gaza," he said.
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