Canada to halt future arms exports to Israel — report

Canada is halting its arms shipments to Israel, a Canadian government source has told the AFP news agency.

The decision comes on Tuesday as Ottawa has only exported "non-lethal" shipments such as communications equipment to Israel since its war on blockaded Gaza.

No exports have taken place since January, the source added.

Israel has always been a top receiver of Canadian arms exports, with over $15 million worth of military materiel exported to Israel in 2022, according to Radio Canada, following $19 million in shipments in 2021.

That places Israel among the top 10 recipients of Canadian arms exports.

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.

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 Palestine.

"It's a real thing," Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly told The Toronto Star newspaper.

Israel's genocide in Gaza

Israel has killed at least 31,819 people and wounded 73,934 others in its brutal war on the blockaded enclave.

The Israeli war has pushed 85 percent of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water and medicine, while 60 percent of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.