Statement by Prime Minister Carney marking two years since Hamas' terror attacks against Israel

OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 7, 2025 /CNW/ - "Two years ago today, families were preparing to observe a joyful Jewish holiday, and hundreds of young music lovers were gathering at a peaceful music festival, when the terrorist organisation Hamas launched a heinous attack against Israeli civilians. It was the deadliest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Nearly 1,200 people were murdered, and well over 200 were taken hostage – 48 of whom remain in Hamas' captivity.

Jewish people everywhere, including in Canada, continue to live with a profound sense of grief and anxiety. We remember all those who were brutally murdered on October 7, 2023, including Canadians Vivian Silver, Netta Epstein, Alexandre Look, Judih Weinstein, Shir Georgy, Ben Mizrachi, and Adi Vital-Kaploun, as well as others with close ties to Canada, like Tiferet Lapidot. May their memories be a blessing. On this day and every day, we stand with the victims, their families, and their communities, who continue to carry unimaginable grief.

Canada condemns Hamas, a terrorist group that must play no role in the future governance of a demilitarised Palestinian state. We urge all parties to immediately work to turn Hamas' commitment of releasing all hostages into a reality and to negotiate the terms of peace.

Canada has committed more than $400 million in assistance to the West Bank and Gaza, and we support the sustained, large-scale delivery of humanitarian aid into the region. Canada is intensifying its coordination with international partners to build a just and lasting peace – which can only be ultimately guaranteed through the achievement of a comprehensive two-state solution. As we work towards peace in the region, we will never forget the innocent lives lost, injured, and taken hostage during the attack of October 7.

Over the past two years, Jewish Canadians and Jewish communities throughout the world have faced a devastating resurgence of antisemitism – synagogues and schools are being attacked, people harassed for their faith, and efforts made to diminish or deny the horror of October 7. These crimes are a betrayal of the values that bond Canadians together, and compromise the inalienable right of all Canadians to live their lives fully with dignity and security. Canada condemns antisemitism in all its forms. Earlier this fall, our new government introduced legislation with strengthened additional provisions to address hate crimes, protect religious and cultural buildings and spaces, and prohibit the display of terrorist symbols. Bill C-9 will make it a criminal offence to intentionally and wilfully obstruct access to places of worship, schools, and community centres.

To bolster these legislative efforts, the government is providing targeted funding to provinces for the training of law enforcement officers and Crown prosecutors, enhancing their ability to protect communities at risk and enforce hate crime laws effectively.

Over the next week, Jewish Canadians will gather with loved ones in their sukkah and celebrate the resilience of the Jewish people. In solidarity, Canadians must renew our efforts to build a country where Jewish people will always be able to live their lives safely, openly, and freely."

This document is also available at https://pm.gc.ca

SOURCE Prime Minister's Office

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