In a speech to the Economic Club of Canada in Toronto, Joly called for a temporary pause in hostilities in the Israel-Hamas conflict to allow more aid to arrive in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas and home to more than two million Palestinians.

The minister also said that the Canadian government is committed to helping its citizens get out of this dangerous zone. Global Affairs Canada says it is in contact with 499 Canadians, permanent residents and their family members in the territory.

In her speech, Ms. Joly also called on Hamas to release more than 200 hostages held in Gaza, which she said could include two Canadians who are still missing.

The latest conflict began when Hamas militants launched brazen attacks on Israeli civilians on October 7. According to the Israeli government, more than 1,400 Israelis were killed in the attacks.

Israel responded forcefully, bombarding Gaza with rockets and launching a ground offensive in recent days. Since then, more than 8,300 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip, most of them women and children, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry.

Israeli tanks and troops advanced deeper into the Gaza Strip on Monday, where living conditions for civilians are deteriorating as food, medicine and fuel run dangerously low.

On Sunday, 33 humanitarian aid trucks entered the area from Egypt. According to rescue workers, the amount is still far below what is needed for the population of 2.3 million people.

The siege has brought Gaza’s infrastructure to the brink of collapse. Without a central power supply for weeks and with little fuel, hospitals are having difficulty operating emergency generators.

On Saturday, crowds broke into four United Nations facilities and stole food supplies, in what the United Nations said was a sign that civil order was beginning to collapse amid growing desperation.

In the occupied West Bank, Israel said its warplanes carried out airstrikes on Monday against militants facing its forces in the Jenin refugee camp, where there have been repeated Israeli attacks. Hamas said four of its fighters were killed there.

Israeli forces and settlers killed 123 Palestinians, including 33 minors, in the West Bank on Sunday, half of them in search and arrest operations, according to the United Nations.

“Pragmatic diplomacy”

“The humanitarian situation of the Palestinian people – Palestinian women and children – is serious. “Attacks by extremist settlers continue to occur in the West Bank,” Ms. Joly said in her speech.

Global Affairs Canada says it has helped 65 Canadian citizens, permanent residents and eligible family members leave the West Bank since the conflict began and is in contact with 66 people who are still there.

The Canadian Armed Forces confirmed Monday that it has deployed special forces to the Canadian Embassy in Tel Aviv after Global Affairs Canada requested military support to prepare for a possible escalation of hostilities in the Middle East.

Ms. Joly reiterated Hamas’s unequivocal condemnation of its attacks and said Israel had the right to defend itself against terrorism “in accordance with international law.”

Fears of a wider conflict have been heightened by clashes on the Israel-Lebanese border, which officials fear could lead to Canadians having to be evacuated from Lebanon.

Ms Joly said that given this precarious time, the region must also look to the future and support a two-state solution.

“The tectonic plates of the world order are shifting beneath our feet and the structures built on them are crumbling,” Ms. Joly said on Monday.

She added that the world faces a generational challenge to prevent global conflict and that Canada must play an important role in building a stable and inclusive world.

This includes what she calls “pragmatic diplomacy,” even with countries with which we disagree.

“As compliance declines, empty chairs no longer serve any purpose. “To be clear: I’m an opener, not a closer,” she said. Therefore, with rare exceptions, Canada will be committed.”

Ms. Joly warned that democracy cannot be taken for granted and that Canada must protect its sovereignty.

She said the government is committed to increasing the country’s presence at the United Nations and other international institutions, building on Canada’s history of creating international rules and institutions.

“The current world order is also being challenged by people and nations, particularly those in the South, who question whether the rules reflect their reality and benefit their people,” she said.

“Some have expressed concerns about double standards or whether current institutions and their decisions are meeting their needs or being fair.”