TEL AVIV — The international spokesman for the Israeli Defence Forces has clapped back against Foreign Minister
Anita Anand’s criticism of the Gaza war
, even as the Liberal government broadened its messaging to call for Hamas to disarm and cede power.
In a scrum with reporters after being sworn in last week, Anand described Israel’s post-October 7 war on Hamas as “aggression,” accusing the Jewish state of using food as a political toll. She cited a death toll of 50,000 in the war, a
figure released by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
Asked about the comments in a briefing with Canadian reporters in Tel Aviv, Lt. Col Nadav Shoshani said Hamas figures do not distinguish between civilians and non-combatants. Israel works hard to limit civilian deaths, he said, often issuing warnings beforehand so they can get out of harms way.
When we say we take steps to minimize harm to civilians—this is what we mean.
Several days before striking infrastructure sites belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime in Yemen’s Hudaydah and Salif Ports, the IDF issued repeated warnings to evacuate like this one, posted by… https://t.co/sk846M9ccS— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) May 16, 2025
“Israel is only country in the world that could be attacked on seven fronts and described as being the aggressor,” he told the reporters on Sunday, travelling in Israel on a trip sponsored by the Exigent Foundation. The seven fronts he named include
Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran,
the Houthis and other enemies.
On the X social media platform on Monday, Anand revealed that Prime Minister Mark Carney had spoken to Israeli President Isaac Herzog and “discussed the urgent need” for Hamas to release the remaining 58 hostages, “lay down its weapons and have no role in Gaza.”
Today PM @MarkJCarney and Pres. @Isaac_Herzog discussed the urgent need for:
•Hamas to release all hostages
•An immediate ceasefire
•The resumption of urgent life-saving humanitarian aid for civilians
•A two-state solution
•Hamas to lay down its weapons and have no role in…— Anita Anand (@AnitaAnandMP) May 19, 2025
The two leaders also discussed a ceasefire,
“a two-state solution”
and the resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza, she said. On Sunday, Israel announced a resumption of aid.
Shoshani said he had “a lot of respect for Canada,” but said Hamas started the war and could end it by laying down their weapons and releasing the hostages.
“We’re doing everything we can to fight a terrorist organization and we’re not going to fight it in a non-aggressive way,” he said.
“We’re differentiating and targeting terrorists who have said they want to kill us, kill my family. We have to act against these terrorists to make sure they can’t do that.”
The Hamas-led attack on southern Israel killed about 1,200 people and saw
251 hostages taken to Gaza.
Most have since been returned to Israel or died. Many of the remaining hostages are believed to have died.
