Canada has called for an independent investigation into Israel's “appalling” treatment of detained Gaza flotilla activists, according to an official statement released Monday.
Prime Minister Mark Carney made the demand in a phone call with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, while also deploring the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “catastrophic.” Carney’s office said.
"The Prime Minister reiterated that the appalling treatment of civilians, including Canadian citizens, aboard the Gaza-bound flotilla was unacceptable, and he called for an independent investigation," the statement said.
Carney, it said, also reaffirmed Canada's opposition to illegal Israeli settlement expansion, settler violence in the West Bank and violence against Palestinian civilians.
Although Carney last week denounced Israel's handling of the flotilla members, the broad scope of his condemnation Monday underlines how strained ties have become between Israel and some of its closest allies.
