Statement urges justice, accountability, and reinforcing rights of all civilians to life, and freedom from violence and discrimination.
KAIROS Canada and its member churches and agencies—including the Anglican Church of Canada, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Mennonite Central Committee of Canada, The Presbyterian Church in Canada and The United Church of Canada—issued an ecumenical statement urging justice, accountability, reinforcing all civilians’ rights to life, and to freedom from violence and discrimination.
“We join the voices of those in the region and others in Canada and internationally in urging the Canadian Government to support a ceasefire and a negotiated resolution to this violence,” the statement says. “The international response must comply with international humanitarian law. We urge Canada to take leadership in calling for a corridor to provide humanitarian relief to Gaza.”
The statement supports those made by the Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, the World Council of Churches, Diakonia and Amnesty International in response to the spiraling violence and war crimes against Palestinian and Israeli civilians. It also includes calls to action to the Government of Canada, all people of goodwill and Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly.