Written By David Gomez
We cannot live with our eyes blindfolded and continue ignoring what is happening in the world. I know this country is among the most peaceful on the planet, but Canada has always stood on the right side of history. It has consistently defended human rights, democracy, peace, and humanity in the face of the cruel abuses of dictatorships—or in the face of corrupt politicians attempting to violate or destroy a culture or a group of people. Speaking about violence may be disturbing and uncomfortable for many readers. Yet I believe it is time we begin to truly understand the world—and the pain of thousands upon thousands of people.
The situation in Gaza is nothing short of hell, one in which even children are not spared. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, as of July 9, 2025, 57,680 people have been killed in Gaza. A third of them—17,121—were children. More than 137,409 people have been wounded, according to the UN’s humanitarian agency, OCHA. And these numbers are incomplete, as they do not account for the missing—those buried under rubble or unaccounted for after more than 21 months of war. The true toll is likely much higher.
Since then, the numbers have only grown. Today, over 61,000 Palestinians have been killed, with at least 217 dying from starvation—including more than 100 children—due to severe restrictions on humanitarian aid. In some of the most harrowing accounts, doctors describe patients shot while lining up for food, and mothers attempting to feed families with little more than thin soup or dry bread. These are not accidents; they are the predictable outcomes of deliberate policies that leave civilians trapped without safety, food, or medicine.
Canada, to its credit, has spoken out. Prime Minister Mark Carney has condemned Israel’s decision to expand military operations into Gaza City, warning that such actions will worsen the humanitarian catastrophe, endanger hostages, and undermine any hope for long-term peace. Canada has joined international partners—including France, Germany, Australia, and the United Kingdom—in rejecting this course of action, and has pledged to recognise the State of Palestine at the United Nations in September under clear conditions, including the demilitarisation of Hamas and democratic elections.
Beyond words, Canada has also acted. Earlier this month, a Canadian military aircraft conducted the country’s first independent airdrop of humanitarian aid into Gaza—an operation made necessary by the ongoing blockade that has severely limited ground deliveries. Ottawa has also imposed sanctions on individuals linked to extremist settler violence in the occupied West Bank, reaffirming its stance that international law must be respected.
These positions matter because they affirm our shared humanity. But they are not enough on their own. Awareness is only the first step; sustained pressure and moral clarity are needed to confront what many see as a “macabre plan” by the Israeli government to forcibly depopulate Gaza City under the guise of security. Nearly a million Palestinians are at risk of further displacement if the plan proceeds—a move that would be both a humanitarian and moral disaster.
History will judge how the world responded to Gaza. For Canadians, the choice lies between looking away or standing firm in the values this nation claims to uphold. A country cannot defend human rights abroad while ignoring their wholesale destruction in plain sight. Nor can it celebrate a legacy of peacekeeping while tolerating the starvation of children as a weapon of war.
Silence is complicity. Canada knows which side of history it is meant to be on.
