Canada upholds freeze on new arms export permits to Israel
PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — Canadian soldiers at Forward Operating Base Ramrod in southern Afghanistan fire two 155 mm rocket-assisted projectiles, Sept. 1, 2009. (U.S. Air Force photo via Staff Sgt. Justin Weaver via U.S. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada has not approved new arms exports permits to Israel since Jan. 8 and this freeze will continue until Ottawa can ensure the weapons are used properly, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on Wednesday.
Export permits that were approved before Jan. 8 remain in effect, she said in an emailed statement.
The political survival of the minority Liberal government depends on support from the left-leaning New Democrats, who are pressuring for a tougher line with Israel over the Gaza conflict.
"Canada has one of the most rigorous export permit regimes in the world. There are no open permits for exports of lethal goods to Israel," Joly said.
"Since January 8th, the government has not approved new arms export permits to Israel and this will continue until we can ensure full compliance with our export regime."
Canadian law bars the export of weapons if they could be used in "a serious violation of international humanitarian law" or "serious acts of violence against women and children".
Canada's parliament passed a non-binding motion on Monday on the Gaza conflict which called on the government to "cease the further authorization and transfer of arms exports to Israel".
Canada, a minor supplier of arms to Israel, last week said it had paused non-lethal military exports since January because of the rapidly evolving situation on the ground.
Earlier this month pro-Palestinian and human rights advocates filed a lawsuit to stop Ottawa allowing the export of military goods and technology to Israel.
Since the deadly Hamas attacks on Oct 7, Canada had authorized at least C$28.5 million ($21 million) worth of new permits, more than the value of such permits allowed in the previous year, they said.
($1 = 1.3587 Canadian dollars)
(This story has been refiled to fix the day to Wednesday, not Thursday, in paragraph 1)
(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
