Joly condemns Hamas rapes of Israeli women after weeks of pressure
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly is condemning sexual violence committed by Hamas during its attack on Israel, after weeks of pressure to speak out.
"Using sexual violence as a tactic of war is a crime," Joly wrote Thursday on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Joly made explicit reference to the brutal incursion two months ago by Hamas militants, who killed an estimated 1,200 people.
Canada strongly condemns sexual and gender-based violence, she wrote, "including rape, perpetrated by Hamas against women in Israel on Oct. 7. We believe Israeli women."
Opposition parties have been pressing the government for weeks to condemn the sexual violence by Hamas, at times arguing that it's not enough to simply speak out against violence in general.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh told delegates at the party's convention Oct. 14 that "there can be no justification for the torture, murder and sexual violence committed by Hamas."
Two weeks ago in Parliament, ConservativeMP Michelle Rempel Garner called on the governing Liberals to denounce the United Nations for not having condemned Hamas's sexual violence, which the organization ended up doing a week later.
At the time, parliamentary secretary Pam Damoff responded that Canadacondemns Hamas's "actions against women and other civilians."
Conservatives also took aim Thursday at Canada's embassy in Tel Aviv and its mission in Ramallah for a post on social media that the Tories say suggests Palestinians have been victims of sexual violence in the war between Israel and Hamas.
"Sexual (and) gender-based violence impact both Israeli (and) Palestinian women and girls, and also men and boys, in distinct ways," the post reads.
"Canada condemns all use of sexual and gender-based violence as a tactic of war. We advocate for justice for all victims and survivors."
Seven minutes later, the embassy in Israel added that "we must acknowledge that Israeli women and girls have been profoundly impacted by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Accounts of brutal sexual violence during the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks are deeply concerning and must be investigated."
Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman pounced on the original post, writing, "You can't even get this right." Added former Conservative senator Linda Frum: "Only one side is using rape as a tactic of war."
Global Affairs Canada acknowledged but did not immediately address a request to clarify the original post.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs is demanding the department explain the statement, which it called inaccurate and insensitive.
"Now is not the time for misinformation (and) false moral equivalence. Only one side -- Hamas -- is using rape as a tactic of war," the Canadian group posted on X.
The group also thanked Joly for speaking out. "There is no statute of limitations on demanding accountability for heinous crimes," it wrote.
Israel's embassy in Ottawa opted to focus on Joly's comment over the other posts.
"We do take Melanie Joly's tweet as the valid position that was stated by Canada," a spokeswoman told The Canadian Press.
The government's Thursday statements came four days after Canada's envoy for combatting antisemitism called it an anti-Jewish double standard to question reports of Hamas militants raping Israeli women.
"What we are seeing with the refusal/indifference to believe Jewish women who were sexually assaulted is a clear form of antisemitism," Deborah Lyons wrote Sunday on X, chastising women's groups.
"Non-Jewish and non-Israeli women would not be questioned and challenged in this same way."
In Edmonton, the University of Alberta replaced the head of its sexual assault centre last month for endorsing an open letter that questioned the validity of sexual assault claims against Hamas.
In Israel, women's organizations have been calling on the international community to speak out for weeks, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized other countries Tuesday for not doing so.
Yet police in Israel are still investigating what happened two months ago, after officials prioritized identifying bodies instead of preserving evidence, The Associated Press reported.
Officials say they have found it difficult to find rape survivors because many of the people believed to be victims of such acts were killed by their attackers.
Israeli embassies have shown reporters videos of Hamas atrocities during the Oct. 7 attack. One scene showed the body of a woman with no pants or undergarments, but none of the videos compiled from social media, security cameras and Hamas fighters showed sexual assaults.
The group Physicians for Human Rights Israel, which has a record of advocating for Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip suffering under Israel's longtime blockade of the territory, published an initial assessment in November.
"What we know for sure is that it was more than just one case and it was widespread, in that this happened in more than one location and more than a handful of times," Hadas Ziv, policy and ethics director for the organization, said Tuesday.
"What we don't know and what the police are investigating is whether it was ordered to be done and whether it was systematic."
Hamas has rejected allegations that its gunmen committed sexual assault.
On Dec. 1, UN Women said it condemned Hamas for "numerous accounts of gender-based atrocities and sexual violence during those attacks" on Oct. 7.
"This is why we have called for all accounts of gender-based violence to be duly investigated and prosecuted, with the rights of the victim at the core," the agency wrote.
The agency's statement came after it had already raised the alarm about Palestinian women in the Gaza Strip being displaced and widowed by Israel's bombardment, which the UN says violated international law.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said it requested access to Israel and the Palestinian territories to allow it to collect information on the Hamas attack, including sexual violence.
Israel says the office has pre-existing biases against Israel and it will not co-operate with the body.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 7, 2023.
-- With files from The Associated Press
IN DEPTH
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Supports for passengers, farmers, artists: 7 bills from MPs and Senators to watch in 2024
When parliamentarians return to Ottawa in a few weeks to kick off the 2024 sitting, there are a few bills from MPs and senators that will be worth keeping an eye on, from a 'gutted' proposal to offer a carbon tax break to farmers, to an initiative aimed at improving Canada's DNA data bank.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'We need new leadership': Liberal MP writes to caucus, says Justin Trudeau should resign
A sitting Liberal MP has written to the federal caucus to say he thinks Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should resign. 'For the future of our party and for the good of our country we need new leadership and a new direction,' said New Brunswick MP Wayne Long in the brief note.
WestJet warns of travel disruption as mechanics union opts to 'continue with strike action'
WestJet says it is 'outraged' after its airline maintenance engineers went ahead with their previously threatened strike on Friday evening.
Minivan slams into a Long Island nail salon, killing 4 and injuring 9, fire official says
A minivan slammed into a Long Island nail salon Friday, killing four people and injuring 9, a Suffolk County fire official said.
Ontario MPP removed from PC caucus over 'serious lapses in judgment'
Premier Doug Ford has removed a member of his caucus due to what he’s describing as 'serious lapses in judgment.' In a statement released Friday morning, the premier’s office said MPP Goldie Ghamari had been removed from the Progressive Conservative caucus 'effective immediately.'
Martin Mull, hip comic and actor from 'Fernwood Tonight' and 'Roseanne,' dies at 80
Martin Mull, whose droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on sitcoms including 'Roseanne' and 'Arrested Development,' has died, his daughter said Friday.
Lt.-Gen. Jennie Carignan to become first woman to lead Canadian Armed Forces
Lt.-Gen. Jennie Carignan will be named Canada's new Chief of the Defence Staff, CTV News has learned, making her the first woman to lead the Canadian Armed Forces.
Multivitamins don't help you live longer, study suggests
Millions of people who take multivitamins everyday may not be reaping the perceived health benefits, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Is marriage harder than it was 10 years ago? Why one psychologist thinks so
Marriage might be the oldest institution in the world, but it's struggling to adapt to the pressures of modern life. Registered psychologist Adisa Azubuike explains why it's more difficult today.
Five survivors from Sudbury, Ont., rescued in human trafficking investigation
Six people have been charged in a provincial human trafficking investigation that identified five survivors from Greater Sudbury.
Local Spotlight
'I am very proud': Manitoba grandfather and grandson graduate high school in same class
A grandfather and grandson duo proudly graduated alongside each other at the same northern Manitoba school.
'Absolutely amazing video': Basking shark spotted along eastern shore of Nova Scotia
A large basking shark was captured close to the shoreline on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore.
World's largest hockey stick in B.C. to be chopped up, sold to collectors
The world's largest hockey stick could soon become the world's most in-pieces hockey stick as a Vancouver Island community prepares to tear down and carve up the Canadian landmark.
'Hanging on for her life': Sask. family desperate to bring home sick niece from Philippines
For half a decade, a Saskatoon family has been trying to bring their orphaned niece to Canada, they say now it’s a matter of life or death.
'Really disappointed': Painting at Winnipeg Art Gallery found to be a forgery
The Winnipeg Art Gallery- Qaumajuq recently discovered that one piece in its collection is a fake and part of a massive art forgery ring that included more than 1,500 pieces.
Six-year-old Montreal boy triumphs in Canadian math competition
Six-year-old Bruce Arthur Chang is the new grand champion of Canada in the UCMAS math competition, and says he is hoping to make a mark on the international stage.
Halifax icon who wore high heels with pride dies at 86
Harold Brenton Anderson, who wore high heels for decades in Halifax and loved to travel, has died.
This Ottawa 'fat cat' on a weight loss journey has become a TikTok star
An Ottawa cat has morphed into a TikTok star, as he's slimming down from weighing 43 pounds.
'I just really like the sport': Meet the 90-year-old local slo-pitch player still living out his passion
Bill Neald is still living out his passion of playing baseball at the age of 90 in Regina’s Senior Mixed Slo-Pitch League.