PM Carney says first few days ‘crucial’ to Gaza ceasefire deal, hostage release

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada is urging all parties involved in the U.S.-backed Gaza peace plan to follow through, and Ottawa is looking at how it can support efforts to end the conflict.

“We’re encouraged, but it’s the first phase and there’s more to come,” Carney told reporters Thursday morning on Parliament Hill, ahead of a cabinet meeting.

He said the first two days would be “crucial” for the deal.

Israel and Hamas say they have agreed to the first phase of a plan that would pause the fighting and see Hamas release the 20 living hostages. Israel, meanwhile, would pull troops back to an agreed-upon line of roughly half the enclave, and release certain Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

The pause in the fighting is meant to lead to a phased end to the war. Details of the medium and long-term plan are still under discussion.

Carney thanked U.S. President Donald Trump, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey for their work to orchestrate the deal, and urged Israel and “particularly Hamas” to follow through by releasing all hostages, including the deceased.

“The president and I discussed in the White House how Canada can support this process,” Carney said, referring to his Tuesday visit to Washington.

“We are supporting with humanitarian aid. There are other mechanisms that we can do to support it.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand also thanked American and foreign peers for their efforts, adding Ottawa wants to deploy humanitarian aid to Gaza and work toward a lasting peace in the region.

“The future after the release of hostages is what is on the table right now,” she told reporters Thursday.

“There is this 20-point peace plan that we are working on, to ensure that both Israel and Hamas stay at the table to execute on the remaining points.”

She said later that Canada could lend its expertise in development work and “in the area of governance of the future State of Palestine.”

Anand also said she’s been part of discussions on crafting a possible stabilization force. It remains unclear whether such a force would include Canadian troops.

“I am very much an interlocutor between the Arab countries and the United States,” she said. “Prime Minister Carney has been involved in these efforts as well.”

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre thanked Trump for “his leadership, his diplomacy and his strategy” and said it’s up to Hamas to disarm and release hostages.

“This could be the beginning of a very beautiful, peaceful period in Middle East history. Let’s all hope it is,” he told reporters Thursday.

Poilievre did not express any concerns about Israel’s war campaign when asked, and instead spoke about antisemitism in Canada.

In an online statement, the National Council of Canadian Muslims said it is “hopeful” about the chances for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

“Let us have no illusions — agreements for peace have been broken before. And those responsible for war crimes against the Palestinian people must still be held to account,” the group wrote.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs issued a statement saying that it’s also hoping for “lasting peace and security” after the hostages are returned.

“At this pivotal moment, our community is watching developments with deep concern — not only for the region, but for Canadian society,” it wrote. “For two years, the actions of pro-Hamas extremists in our country have harmed Jewish Canadians, inflamed Canada’s streets, and damaged our democracy.”

On Wednesday, Global Affairs Canada officials told the Senate foreign affairs committee that it’s too soon to say whether Canada will be part of an armed mission to secure a ceasefire or truce in the Gaza Strip.

Stefanie McCollum, a director with the department’s Middle East bureau, noted talks continue on setting up an international stabilization force and an apolitical transitional government led by Palestinian technocrats.

“Canada is in active discussions right now to see how Canada will be able to support such initiatives. I can’t speak to whether that will entail a deployment or not,” McCollum told senators.

“I don’t want to presume what the decisions will be. I can say (that) we are actively speaking to our partners, so that if these negotiations are successful, if there is broad agreement to this plan, Canada will be ready to speak to how we can support it.”

Carney said last month that he was aware of calls for some sort of stabilization force involving European and Arab governments. He said Ottawa is looking at how it might contribute to those efforts.

Canada has in recent times supported stabilization efforts globally without putting boots on the ground.

In Haiti, Canada is facilitating a mission to rout heavily armed gangs, primarily through assessing local security services’ equipment gaps and helping supporting nations provide interchangeable gear. Ottawa also has helped to deploy surveillance planes in Haiti.

Tara Carney, acting director of humanitarian issues at Global Affairs, said Canadian aid is ready to be deployed into the Gaza Strip by the United Nations, the Red Cross and other charities.

“There are millions of dollars worth of pre-positioned supplies, including food, water and medicine, awaiting clearances at border crossings,” she testified Wednesday alongside McCollum.

“Canada’s … partners have the capacity to rapidly scale up, when conditions allow.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2025.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press