Carney conveyed the message during a conversation with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, while also expressing concern over conditions in Gaza, which his office described as “catastrophic.”

The Canadian leader reiterated Ottawa’s opposition to Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, violence by settlers, and attacks against Palestinian civilians, underscoring growing tensions between Canada and Israel over the conduct of the Gaza conflict and related humanitarian issues.

The latest intervention follows allegations by organizers of an international aid flotilla that activists detained by Israeli authorities after attempting to deliver assistance to Gaza were subjected to mistreatment while in custody. Organizers said several detainees required hospitalization for injuries and alleged that at least 15 activists reported sexual assaults, including rape.

Israel’s prison service has denied the allegations.
While Carney had already criticized Israel’s handling of the flotilla incident last week, Monday’s statement represented a broader condemnation and reflected the increasingly strained nature of bilateral relations.
The Israeli embassy in Ottawa did not immediately comment on Carney’s latest remarks.

Separately, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said she spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and informed him that Canada would provide evidence related to the alleged mistreatment of Canadian citizens detained during the operation.

Anand said she raised concerns over what Ottawa viewed as a denial of consular access to detained Canadians, arguing that such actions violated obligations under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

“I raised that denying Canadian citizens access to consular services while they were detained violates the Vienna Convention and must never happen again,” Anand said in a statement posted on social media.
Saar rejected the criticism and said he had told Anand that participants in the flotilla had been motivated by support for Hamas. He also raised concerns about what he described as a rise in antisemitic incidents in Canada and called on Canadian authorities to take stronger action against antisemitic violence and incitement.

The dispute has added to mounting diplomatic friction between the two countries. Israel’s ambassador to Canada recently told Canadian media that bilateral government-to-government relations had deteriorated to their lowest point on record.
The episode highlights widening differences between Israel and several traditional Western partners over the conduct of the Gaza war, humanitarian access to the territory and the treatment of foreign nationals involved in aid initiatives linked to the conflict.

Speaking during a visit on Monday to Palestinian villages in the West Bank alongside former senior Israeli officials including Matan Vilnai and Amram Mitzna, Pardo said the conditions he witnessed reminded him of historic persecution faced by Jews in Europe and left him feeling “ashamed to be Jewish,” according to remarks carried by Israel’s Channel 13.

Pardo said Israeli authorities were fully aware of settler attacks on Palestinian residents but had chosen not to intervene, describing the trend as a moral and strategic danger for the country.

He warned that confronting radical settlers, some of whom he said were armed and enjoyed political backing, could trigger internal instability and deepen divisions inside Israel.Pardo specifically pointed to the influence of far-right cabinet ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, both of whom have supported stronger Israeli control over the West Bank and expansion of settlements.

Violence across the occupied territory has intensified in recent months, with Palestinian communities reporting repeated attacks, destruction of homes and farmland, and forced displacement.The United Nations considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law and has repeatedly called for a halt to settlement expansion, a position Israel disputes.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said annexation of parts of the West Bank was not currently being pursued, citing opposition from U.S. President Donald Trump.However, Saar said Israel remained opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian state and would continue to strengthen its presence in the territory, a position that has further strained relations with the European Union and drawn criticism from rights groups and international partners.

The West Bank, captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, remains one of the central flashpoints in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with rising tensions fueling fears of broader regional instability.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Michael Lotem, currently serving as a roving economic ambassador to Africa, would become the country’s first official envoy to Somaliland.

The move follows Israel’s December 2025 decision to recognize Somaliland’s independence, making it the first nation to do so since the territory declared autonomy from Somalia in 1991 after the collapse of the Somali state during civil war.

Lotem previously served as ambassador to Kenya, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.The diplomatic expansion comes after formal relations were established between the two sides in December and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar visited Somaliland in January, a trip that drew sharp criticism from Somalia.

In February, Somaliland appointed Mohamed Hagi as its first ambassador to Israel, signaling reciprocal diplomatic recognition.Somaliland, which has its own government, currency, passport and military, occupies a strategic location along the Gulf of Aden near one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes.

Despite operating with de facto independence for more than three decades, it has struggled to gain broad international recognition, largely due to concerns that formal recognition could destabilize Somalia and encourage separatist movements elsewhere in Africa.

Somalia has consistently rejected Somaliland’s sovereignty claims and condemned Israeli engagement with the territory.Following Sa’ar’s January visit, Mogadishu described the trip as an “unauthorized incursion” and reaffirmed its position that Somaliland remains an integral part of Somalia.

The diplomatic breakthrough with Israel marks one of Somaliland’s most significant international gains since its self-declared independence, potentially reshaping regional alliances in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea corridor.

The development also carries wider geopolitical significance as global powers compete for influence across strategic shipping routes linking the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Israel has not detailed whether it plans to open a full embassy in Hargeisa, but the ambassadorial appointment signals a formal institutional expansion of relations between the two sides.

Sheikh Abdullah, who also serves as the UAE’s deputy prime minister, underscored the importance of halting hostilities, securing the release of hostages, and preventing further escalation in the Middle East. The meeting, attended by UAE Assistant Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs Saeed Mubarak Al Hajeri and UAE Ambassador to Israel Mohamed Mahmoud Al Khaja, marked a rare diplomatic engagement between the two nations since the Gaza war began in October 2023.

The UAE and Israel normalized relations in 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords, but bilateral interactions have been limited amid the ongoing conflict sparked by Hamas-led attacks on Israel. Saar noted on X that this was his second meeting with Sheikh Abdullah, signaling a cautious resumption of dialogue.

During the talks, Sheikh Abdullah called for a “serious political horizon” to restart negotiations for a two-state solution, reaffirming the UAE’s longstanding support for the Palestinian people and their right to self-determination. He also stressed the need to curb extremism, tensions, and violence across the region, the ministry statement said.

The meeting coincided with Israel’s intensified military operations in Gaza, which resumed last month after the collapse of a US-mediated truce. The Hamas-run health ministry reports that over 1,330 Palestinians have been killed since the offensive restarted, bringing the total death toll since October 2023 to 50,695 — numbers cannot be independently verified. The war erupted when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251 hostages, of whom 59 remain in Gaza—24 believed to be alive.

Sheikh Abdullah’s push for peace reflects growing regional concern over Gaza’s humanitarian toll, with the UAE positioning itself as a mediator advocating for stability and Palestinian rights amid a conflict showing no signs of abating.