Hon. Julie Miville-Dechêne: Honourable senators, Senator Gold, for the past three days, five UN agencies and 12 humanitarian organizations in Canada, along with Jewish voices, have been calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. France, Ireland and Belgium are also calling for a truce.

Canada doesn’t wield much power internationally. Nevertheless, we’ve always been able to amplify our influence by demonstrating our integrity and our adherence to the principles of international law in both word and deed.

Senator Gold, nobody here is disputing the horror of the October 7 attacks, Israel’s right to defend itself or actions necessary to recover more than 200 hostages. That said, I’m concerned that our silence on the subject of a humanitarian truce is eroding our moral authority.

When will the Canadian government demand a humanitarian truce as a tentative step toward a ceasefire in Gaza?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Senator Gold, just before 10 p.m. last Saturday night, Minister Blair released a statement indicating Canada does not believe Israel struck a hospital in Gaza last Thursday. And today, of course, he said Hamas should be eliminated.

After initial media reports blamed Israel for attacking the hospital, Prime Minister Trudeau made sure his rush to judgment was made in full view of the public. Since Minister Blair’s statement, however, the Prime Minister hasn’t said or done anything to walk back his comments from a week ago — no retraction, no statement, not even a late-night tweet like his minister, nothing.

Leader, is the Prime Minister unwilling to correct the record because his Liberal caucus is split on supporting Israel in this war against Hamas?