Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to attend the United Nations General Assembly on Monday in regards to ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
This follows Carney’s decision to recognize Palestine as an independent state on Sunday, alongside the United Kingdom, Australia and Portugal.
(Credit: Palestine flag waves behind tree, Pok Rie/Pexels)
The meeting held in New York City falls under the 80th UNGA and other nations are expected to join the international effort.
“In response to the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, he will stress the urgent need to end the suffering of Palestinian civilians, immediately release all hostages held by Hamas, and ensure progress toward a just and lasting peace,” said in a statement by Carney’s team.
Israel and the Trump administration have criticized the decision, saying it reinforces Hamas and makes negotiating a ceasefire more difficult.
“Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them,” said United States President Donald Trump on Truth Social.
Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu said an independent Palestine “will not happen,” and “a Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River.”
The Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement on X that the recognition “does not promote peace, but on the contrary, further destabilizes the region and undermines the chances of achieving a peaceful solution in the future.”
As of now, moves to recognize Palestine’s statehood has not shifted Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, that has killed over 61,000 people and injured at least 151,000 since October 2023, as stated in a release by the British Red Cross.
Carney is also scheduled to take part in a fireside chat with the Council on Foreign Relations.
