OTTAWA – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday said the “killing of women, of children, of babies” in the besieged Gaza Strip must end.

It was his sharpest criticism of Israel since war against Hamas broke out in early October.

Canada has maintained that Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas.

The Palestinian group attacked southern Israel on Oct 7, killing 1,200 people and taking over 240 hostages.

But like the United States and other allies, Canada has expressed increasing concern over the mounting death toll in the battered enclave.

Palestinian officials say more than 11,000 people have been killed there since the conflict started.

“I urge the government of Israel to exercise maximum restraint. The world is watching, on TV, on social media – we’re hearing the testimonies of doctors, family members, survivors, kids who have lost their parents,” he said.

“The world is witnessing this killing of women, of children, of babies. This has to stop,” he told a news conference in the western province of British Columbia. 

Mr Trudeau also said Hamas needed to stop using Palestinians as human shields and should release all its hostages.

Around 350 Canadian citizens, permanent residents and family members have been evacuated from Gaza, he added.

Last week, Mr Trudeau called for a significant humanitarian pause in the conflict to allow for the release of all hostages and the delivery of enough aid to address civilian needs. REUTERS