Majority of Canadians support a pause in hostilities in Israel-Hamas war, polls suggest

Calls for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war are growing louder on Parliament Hill as new polls suggest a majority of Canadians support either a full ceasefire or a temporary cessation of hostilities in Gaza.

Thirty-five per cent of Canadians think a temporary ceasefire should be called immediately to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, while an additional 30 per cent think a full ceasefire should happen immediately, according to a new poll from the Angus Reid Institute (ARI).

That same poll says fewer than one in five Canadians think a ceasefire should not be called, while sixteen per cent of Canadians say they are not sure or can't say whether a ceasefire should be called.

ARI asked 1,748 people for their views on the conflict in an online survey conducted between Nov. 2 and 6. 

Online surveys are not produced with margins of error. For comparison purposes, ARI says a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of plus or minus 2 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

A separate poll conducted by Mainstreet Research reports that 71 per cent of Canadians either strongly support or somewhat support Canada calling for a ceasefire so that humanitarian aid can reach Gaza. Less than one in five people surveyed either strongly opposed or somewhat opposed calling for a ceasefire.

When asked if a ceasefire must start with the return of hostages held by Hamas, 81 per cent of respondents in the Mainstreet Research poll answered yes, while 11 per cent answered no.

The Mainstreet Research poll was conducted using automated telephone interviews (smart IVR) with 1,892 adults living in Canada. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.3 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

NDP, Bloc calling for a ceasefire

Hamas, a designated terrorist entity in Canada, launched an attack on southern Israel last month that killed more than 1,400 people and wounded thousands more. Hamas also kidnapped and is now holding hostage at least 200 people.

Israel declared war on Hamas in response, laying siege to Gaza, dropping thousands of bombs and launching a ground operation that the Israeli military says is now in the heart of Gaza City. The Hamas-run Gaza health authority says Israel's military actions have killed more than 10,000 people, including 4,000 children, and wounded thousands more.

The Liberal government says Canada stands with Israel and supports its right to defend itself in accordance with international law, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is calling for humanitarian pauses to allow aid to reach Gazans. The Conservative Party is also supporting calls for humanitarian pauses.

The Bloc Québécois and the NDP, however, are both calling for an immediate ceasefire and want the Liberal government to do the same.

NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice's sponsored e-petition calling on Canada to demand an immediate ceasefire in the "Israel-Palestine conflict" has garnered nearly 190,000 signatures in 15 days. It's the second-highest number of signatures on an e-petition since 2015.

Humanitarian pause vs. ceasefire

There is a distinction between a humanitarian pause and a ceasefire. 

The United Nations defines a humanitarian pause as a "temporary cessation of hostilities purely for humanitarian purposes" that is "usually for a defined period and specific geographical area where the humanitarian activities are to be carried out."

While there is no universally accepted definition, the United Nations says a ceasefire agreement tends to be more structured and "feature detailed provisions on objectives, timelines, security arrangements, and monitoring and verification mechanisms."

Gaza ceasefire vs. humanitarian pause: what's the difference?

1 year ago

Duration 6:09

Calls for Israel to halt its attacks on Gaza have been growing louder since the start of the war, but there are different demands for what to call it. CBC’s Thomas Daigle breaks down the difference between a ceasefire and a humanitarian pause and why what it’s called matters.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there will be no ceasefire in Gaza before the hostages held by Hamas are released. Netanyahu has vowed to "dismantle Hamas" and "bring hostages home."

Canada is joined by the U.S., the U.K. and the EU in calling for humanitarian pauses.

Israel's neighbours — Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan — are all calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Last month, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a non-binding resolution calling for an "immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce" between Israel and Hamas.

One hundred and twenty member states voted in favour of the resolution. Canada opted to abstain from the vote after failing to amend the resolution to include an explicit condemnation of Hamas.