Manitoba's Palestinian, Jewish communities hope for peace amid latest conflict in Israel, Gaza
CBC
People from Manitoba's Palestinian and Jewish communities are hoping the latest conflict between Israel and a Palestinian militant group de-escalates soon.
"It's always sad to see when things like this happen because innocent people are always the ones that are affected," said Ramsey Zeid, president of the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba.
He said people from the Palestinian community in Manitoba are watching the situation and hoping for a peaceful resolution.
"We hope and we pray that people in Gaza and in Palestine and in Israel are safe and no more innocent lives are taken or wounded," Zeid told CBC on Saturday.
Dozens of armed Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip launched surprise attacks in Israel Saturday morning — the day of a major Jewish holiday — crossing into Israeli towns and firing a barrage of rockets. Israel responded by launching airstrikes in Gaza.
The attacks, which are the latest exchanges in the long-standing conflict between the regions, has left more than 200 Israelis and more than 200 Palestinians dead and thousands more injured.
Following the attacks, Israel's prime minister has said the country is "at war."
Zeid said he wasn't surprised to hear Hamas launched the attacks.
"You can only push somebody back into a corner so many times so much before they fight back, before they explode," Zeid said.
While Israeli forces withdrew from Gaza in 2005, Israeli largely controls all movement in and out of the strip.
The leader of Hamas's military says the assault was in response to the 16-year blockade of Gaza and Israeli raids over the past year.
Saturday's attack was the deadliest in Israel in decades.
Harold Shuster, who is part of Independent Jewish Voices Winnipeg, said he stands in solidarity with Palestinians.
"While I don't condone the violence, I can understand how somebody might be forced into a position where they see violence as their only means of gaining freedom," he said.
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