Canada will provide C$100 million (about US$73 million) in new international assistance for Palestinians, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced at the United Nations General Assembly, reaffirming Ottawa’s long-standing support for a two-state solution and warning that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza cannot be ignored.
Speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Carney said C$80 million will be directed toward humanitarian assistance in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories, while C$20 million will support peacebuilding, governance and security capacity-building efforts for Palestinians.
Carney said Canada remains firmly committed to the creation of an independent Palestinian state living alongside Israel in peace and security. He added that Canada is working with Britain, France and Saudi Arabia on diplomatic efforts at the United Nations to advance conditions for a durable political settlement.
The announcement comes as international pressure has intensified over the humanitarian situation in Gaza and growing concerns about Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. Several countries used the UN General Assembly to call for increased humanitarian access, protection of civilians and renewed momentum toward a negotiated peace process.
Carney said the suffering in Gaza has reached an unacceptable level and warned that continued violence risks undermining international support for the two-state solution. He stressed that humanitarian assistance must reach civilians without delay and that long-term peace requires both security and political progress.
Canadian officials said the latest package builds on Ottawa’s broader response since the war began in October 2023. Canada has now committed more than C$600 million in humanitarian and development assistance for Palestinian civilians during the conflict, including funding for food, healthcare, shelter and emergency relief through international organizations.
The Canadian government has also taken a tougher stance on Israeli settlements in the West Bank, joining a number of Western allies in imposing restrictions and sanctions targeting individuals and entities linked to settlements that Canada considers illegal under international law.
At the UN, Britain also pledged stronger diplomatic action over Gaza, saying it would not remain silent in the face of mounting civilian suffering in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. British officials said recent sanctions targeting Israeli settlements reflected the government’s position that settlement expansion violates international law.
French President Emmanuel Macron similarly criticized what he described as insufficient international action on Gaza, saying recognition of a Palestinian state by several countries had not translated into meaningful improvements on the ground. He called for expanded humanitarian access and renewed efforts to revive a credible peace process.
The renewed pledges by Canada, Britain and France reflect growing diplomatic efforts by Western governments to increase humanitarian support for Palestinians while reaffirming support for a negotiated two-state solution, even as the conflict in Gaza continues and regional tensions remain high.
