Foreign Affairs committee  The latest position the government has taken on this goes back to December 12, when the government pronounced itself on promoting and advocating for a ceasefire in the region. We were among the first countries, if not the first country among like-minded, to make that pronouncement.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. Thank you again for the invitation to brief the committee today on events in Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The situation has evolved substantially since my last appearance in December. My remarks today will focus on how the conflict is evolving and on Canada's response.

Foreign Affairs committee  I can certainly tell you what Canada wants. Canada is determined to put an end to the hostilities and ensure maximum protection for civilians. The statistics you quoted are horrific and very concerning. The most vulnerable—civilians, women, children and other innocent people—are the ones who have suffered the most because of this crisis.

Foreign Affairs committee  I would say that we find this type of rhetoric very concerning, counterproductive and opposite to the hope we collectively have to bring down the temperature and find a middle ground that will eventually lead to a political process.

Foreign Affairs committee  I don't know what you mean by “formal complaint”, but diplomats and government officials talk all the time. Yes, we do convey our views of such—

Foreign Affairs committee  I can't speak about private diplomatic conversations. I can't go into the details of those. I can tell you that when we hear outrageous or provocative comments, we do have ways of conveying our disagreement with them.

Foreign Affairs committee  I take good note of this, Mr. Chair.

Foreign Affairs committee  I have not noted recent statements of the Israeli Prime Minister on that topic. I can tell you about our own statements.

Foreign Affairs committee  The Government of Canada continues to believe that the only way for Israelis and Palestinians to live in dignity, security and side by side is to pursue a path that will lead to a two-state solution.

Foreign Affairs committee  Affirmative.

Foreign Affairs committee  Our position is that there will need to be a transition time between this extreme state of hostilities and a time when we all hope that the two peoples can live in a two-state, side-by-side status. The path between the current state and that end state is one that is very difficult to see through the fog right now.

Foreign Affairs committee  Yes, we are aware of these statements.

Foreign Affairs committee  I'll just reiterate that no such process, given the gravity of the allegations, should be short-circuited or expedited. What I am saying is that we have experts in law enforcement and in the legal profession who are looking at this and who are comparing notes with international colleagues to collect evidence, but I think every lawyer would understand and appreciate that to be able to build a case and document it in such a way that it can be defended in a court of law, media reports are not sufficient.

Foreign Affairs committee  I can be brief again—

Foreign Affairs committee  This is a question of a legal technical level that is beyond my capacity to answer, so we will need to come back to you. I do not have that information on the jurisdiction, for example, of the ICC.