Air Canada grounds pilot over 'unacceptable' social media posts about Israel-Gaza war

Pro-Palestinian rally in Montreal draws thousands More than 5,000 people took part in the largest pro-Palestinian rally in Montreal since the beginning of the war

Air Canada said it has grounded a pilot over "unacceptable" posts on social media about Israel.

The group StopAntiSemitism.org shared Instagram screenshots of a man identified as Mostafa Ezzo in pro-Palestinian colours while wearing his pilot uniform and holding a sign at a demonstration in Montreal that referenced Hitler.

Last Sunday, several Montreal residents held a demonstration in Dorchester Square in support of Palestine following the Hamas attacks on Israel a day earlier.

One of the screenshots from an Instagram account allegedly belonging to Ezzo promoted the protest with the caption: "Burn in hell." Another post allegedly showed Ezzo holding a sign showing an Israeli flag being dumped into a trash can with the messaging: "Keep the world clean."

CTV News reached out to Air Canada for comment on Tuesday about Ezzo. In a statement, the airline said he "was taken out of service yesterday."

"This means he has been removed from flying."

Canada's flag carrier also went public with the staffing decision by publishing a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, which said, "We are aware of the unacceptable posts made by an Air Canada pilot. We are taking this matter very seriously."

The post went on to say, "We firmly denounce violence in all forms."

The union representing Air Canada pilots, the Air Line Pilots Association, said in a statement that it is aware of the situation and is "incredibly saddened by the tragedies in the Middle East. We condemn all violence and hatred, and any promotion thereof."

"It is our firm expectation that all of our members abide by this principle and our professional code of ethics."

Montreal residents with loved ones on both sides of the conflict have held rallies in recent days to show solidarity with the loss of civilian life.

Amid the fighting between Hamas and Israel, the war has claimed the lives of at least 1,900 people on both sides, The Associated Press reported Tuesday evening.