Canada has suspended approximately 30 arms export permits to Israel, including a contract involving the Canadian subsidiary of a US company and the US government, according to Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly’s announcement on Wednesday.
These permits had been authorised before a ban on new arms sales that could be used in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is worsening due to ongoing Israeli airstrikes on the enclave.
Foreign Minister Joly also disclosed that she had initiated a review of all contracts between Canadian arms suppliers and Israel, as well as with other countries. Joly stressed that the government would not allow Canadian-made ammunition, specifically produced by General Dynamics’ Canadian division, to be sold or transferred via third countries for resale to Israel.
“As for the question regarding General Dynamics, our policy is clear. We will not have any form of arms, or parts of arms, be sent to Gaza. Period. How they’re being sent and where they’re being sent is irrelevant. And so, therefore, my position is clear, the position of the government is clear, and we’re in contact with General Dynamics.”
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), the country’s leading Muslim advocacy group, praised the decision, highlighting Joly’s unequivocal stance on maintaining Canada’s arms ban on Israel. In a post on X, NCCM commended Joly for closing any loopholes that could enable the sale of explosives by General Dynamics.
“Minister Joly put out a clear message stating that Canada’s policy on a weapons ban to Israel remains in place,” NCCM posted on X. “She suggested point blank that the government of Canada was not in favour of any loopholes being used in relation to the recent proposed sale of explosives by General Dynamics.”
However, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs expressed alarm, describing Joly’s comments as a worrying shift in Canadian policy, as reported by the Globe and Mail.
Several nations have reviewed and suspended arms sales to Israel since the escalation of conflict in Gaza, with the UK being the latest to take similar measures. The new Labour government in the UK recently revoked 30 arms export licences to Israel, after an investigation revealed that British-made weapons might have been used in Gaza in ways that breach international humanitarian law. The ban was enacted immediately.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the UK’s decision, labelling it “shameful” and warning that it would embolden Hamas.
Since the start of the Hamas incursion last year, Israeli military action has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in the Gaza Strip.