Canada pledges $100M for Palestinians in West Bank, Gaza
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand announces funding in Paris as western leaders discuss preventing further Israeli-Palestinian conflict escalation.
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Canada has pledged $100 million in federal funding to support Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, addressing what the government describes as a worsening humanitarian crisis and rising violence by extremist Israeli settlers.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand unveiled the funding Friday in Paris, where western leaders gathered to discuss mounting challenges preventing a future two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The new money will go to United Nations agencies, the Red Cross, and other organizations to address basic needs such as medical assistance, food, and water, as well as peace and stabilization initiatives. This brings Canada's total support for Palestinians to $500 million since late 2023.
Anand also met with her British and Australian counterparts, and all three nations pledged approximately $1.8 million over three years for a peace fund designed to empower Palestinians and Israelis who don't hold hardline views.
The government continues to face pressure from multiple sides: Palestinian advocates argue Canada does not do enough to call out Israel, while Jewish advocacy groups contend that Ottawa's criticism of Israel fuels antisemitism.