CanadaÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and her G7 counterparts have issued a joint statement calling for a de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
The foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States issued the statement, along with the High Representative of the European Union.
The statement, which was released Sunday by Global Affairs Canada, says the ministers are expressing their Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥œdeep concern at the heightened level of tension in the Middle East, which threatens to ignite a broader conflict in the region.Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥
It urges all parties to refrain from retaliatory violence, saying Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥œNo country or nation stands to gain from a further escalation in the Middle East.Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥
Fears of an all-out regional war in the Middle East are mounting after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for WednesdayÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s attack but suspicion quickly fell on Israel, which vowed to kill Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders over the groupÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s Oct. 7 attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.
On Saturday, Global Affairs Canada upgraded its travel advisory for Israel to its highest risk level, warning Canadians to avoid all travel to the country due to the unpredictable security situation and ongoing regional conflicts.
Canada had previously upgraded its travel advisory in April to warn against all travel to Israel and the West Bank, but soon after downgraded its warning for Israel to Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥œavoid all non-essential travel.Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥
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Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥”With files from The Associated Press
The Canadian Press