Ottawa, ON 13 February 2024 - Nearly 40 local businesses including restaurants and retailers and organizations ranging from environmental groups to queer rights organizations, across Ottawa have joined forces to issue an urgent appeal calling on the City of Ottawa to address the escalating crisis in Gaza as well as uphold fundamental rights of freedom of expression here in our own city.

Brampton Regional Councillors, Navjit Kaur Brar and Gurpartap Singh Toor, put forward the motion for the city of Brampton to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, which was passed.

As local government elected officials across BC, we are horrified and heartbroken by the crisis in Israel and Gaza. As of November 12, over an estimated 11,000 Palestinians and an estimated 1,200 Israelis have lost their lives since the devastating Hamas terrorist attack on October 7th. Ultimately, even one life lost is too many. We mourn with the communities who have lost loved ones and family members, grieve the unconscionable number of innocent lives lost, and watch in anguish at the unprecedented degree of violence and human suffering.

To our educators, administration, and school board trustees,

During the emergency debate in the House of Commons on October 16, I called for a cease fire to protect innocent civilian lives in Gaza. And the voices calling for a cease fire have only grown stronger and stronger.

TORONTO, Oct. 23, 2023 A broad ad hoc coalition of over 50 pan-Canadian civil society, faith, Arab, Jewish, labour, and peace and justice organizations are demanding that the federal government call for an immediate ceasefire of all hostilities in Israel-Palestine and an end to the blockade of Gaza and for the restoration of humanitarian aid and access to the basic necessities of life.

Last week, a bipartisan group of 33 MPs came together to urgently call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Chair of the Canada-Palestine Parliamentary Friendship Group, Member of Parliament Salma Zahid, worked with vice-chairs Alexandre Boulerice and Elizabeth May to send a letter from 33 MPs to the Prime Minister demanding Canada support a cease fire to save innocent civilian lives in Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid.

October 17, 2023

Canadian leaders must take action NOW to ensure an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian corridor to Gaza.