Prime Minister Mark Carney says his government is in support of a plan put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday to end the war between Israel and Hamas. In a message posted to X on Monday evening, Carney said that “Canada welcomes President Trump’s historic new Middle East peace plan, and we urge all parties to help it realise its full potential.” “As the critical next step, Hamas must immediately release all hostages,” the post read. “Canada stands ready to support the sustained, unimpeded, and large-scale delivery of humanitarian aid into and throughout Gaza.” The 20-point peace plan, unveiled by the White House and backed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demands the disarmament of Hamas and the return of all remaining hostages in return for humanitarian aid for Palestinians and an end to the armed conflict. The war has left more than 66,000 Palestinians dead since it began nearly two years ago, Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Sunday. Over the course of the war, Israel has been criticized for its treatment of Gaza’s civilian population, which is in desperate need of aid as many have been left homeless and without access to food, water or medicine. Trump’s proposal does not contain any guarantees of Palestinian statehood in the Gaza Strip, but it leaves the door open for the Palestinian Authority, which governs part of the West Bank, to reassume control of the area once certain conditions are met. Many Palestinians are skeptical of the proposal, The Associated Press reported on Tuesday. “They want to impose their own peace,” Umm Mohammed, a history teacher who sheltered with her family in Gaza City, told the news service. “In fact, this is not a peace plan. It’s a surrender plan. It returns us to times of colonialism.” Hamas was still considering the proposal on Tuesday, and is under increasing pressure to accept it, according to The Associated Press. Poilievre weighs in Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also voiced his support for Trump’s plan on social media on Tuesday, congratulating the U.S. president for “negotiating peace in Gaza.” “It is time for Hamas to end its war against innocent civilians and allow peace for all,” he said. Carney’s statement of support for the plan, meanwhile, comes a week after Canada formally recognized the state of Palestine ahead of last week’s UN General Assembly. The U.K., France and Australia also recognized Palestinian statehood prior to the gathering, putting all of them at odds with the U.S. “As if to encourage continued conflict, some of this body (are) seeking to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state,” Trump told the assembly last week. “The rewards would be too great for Hamas terrorists for their atrocities.” According to the proposed U.S. peace plan, Trump would chair an international “board of peace” to govern and oversee the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip once the fighting ends. The plan would also see the Israeli military scale back its presence in the area over time. Carney said in his statement that Canada will continue to work with its allies towards the creation of a peaceful two-state solution in the region. “We will continue our close coordination with international partners to build a just and lasting peace that builds on today’s progress,” it read, “with a sovereign, democratic, and viable State of Palestine building its future in peace and security with the State of Israel.” With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press
