PM Carney pledges $100 million in aid for Palestinians as Israel-Gaza war enters fourth year

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced $100 million in new Canadian aid for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank on Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly. The funding includes $80 million for humanitarian assistance and the rest for security initiatives, specifically a top-up to a multi-year project training Palestinian police.

Carney framed the aid as part of efforts to bring about a two-state solution. "Immense human suffering" describes the situation in Gaza, he said, while acknowledging Israel faces "existential threats from Hamas and from Iran and its proxies."

This new commitment adds to Canada's broader aid record in the region. Since Israel's military campaign in Gaza began in October 2023, Ottawa has pledged aid for Palestinian civilians. However, new documents tabled in Parliament this week detail damage done to dozens of Canadian-funded aid projects by Israel's military operations and settlers—a sign of the challenges aid organizations face delivering assistance in the conflict zone.

The announcement comes as the war approaches its fourth year with no resolution in sight. The tension between pledging humanitarian aid and documenting damage to aid infrastructure reflects the difficult position international donors occupy in the conflict.