Canada is halting its arms shipments to Israel, a Canadian government source told Agence France-Presse (AFP) late on Tuesday, March 20. This was later confirmed by Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, in statements to daily newspaper the Toronto Star.
Canada, a key ally of the United States, which provides Israel with billions of dollars a year in military aid, had already reduced its weapons shipments to Israel to non-lethal equipment such as radios following the October 7 Hamas attack.
"The situation on the ground makes it so that we can't" export any kind of military equipment, the Canadian official told AFP on condition of anonymity. No exports have taken place since January, the government source added.
Israel slammed the decision, with foreign minister Israel Katz saying it "undermines Israel's right to self-defense against Hamas terrorists." "History will judge Canada's current action harshly," he said in a post on social media platform X.
Israel has historically been a top receiver of Canadian arms exports, with CAN$21 million worth of military materiel exported to Israel in 2022, according to Radio Canada, following CAN$26 million in shipments in 2021. That places Israel among the top 10 recipients of Canadian arms exports.
While affirming Israel's right to defend itself, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has taken an increasingly critical stance toward Israel as civilian deaths have mounted in Gaza. On Monday, the Canadian Parliament passed a non-binding resolution calling for the international community to work toward a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.
The issue of arms deliveries to Israel has triggered legal proceedings in several countries around the world. In March, a coalition of lawyers and Canadians of Palestinian origin lodged a complaint against the Canadian government seeking to suspend arms exports to Israel, saying Ottawa was violating both domestic and international law.