Canada does not recognize permanent Israeli control over territories occupied in 1967 (the Golan Heights, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip). Israeli settlements in the occupied territories are a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. The settlements also constitute a serious obstacle to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.
https://www.international.gc.ca/wor...y-politique_israelo-palestinien.aspx?lang=eng
So, given the gulf between Hamas’s aims and style of governance, how has it kept control of the enclave of 2.2 million people for so long? It’s important to remember that there have been no elections since 2006 and the average age of people in Gaza is
about 18, meaning most people have not had the chance to vote for any other leadership.
Hamas has also reportedly
ruled with an iron fist. Hamas has used
strict and authoritarian methods of control, applying its own interpretations of strict sharia law, enforcing gender segregation in public, controlling the media, repressing any political opposition and eliminating all mechanisms of transparency and accountability.
Numerous reports have detailed human rights abuses conducted by Hamas against Palestinian civilians, including arbitrary detention, torture, punishment beatings and the
death penalty. To be fair, a report in 2018 from
Human Rights Watch found that similar human rights abuse was just as common in the West Bank under the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority. Hamas also
stands accused of harassing journalists who criticize its government.
The catastrophic Hamas attack on October 7 which has led to the deaths of so many Palestinian civilians in Gaza has eliminated any pretense of legitimacy that Hamas may ever have had in the eyes of most of the world. Indeed, the days of Hamas may be over. But this will only increase the urgency of finding a long-term solution for Palestine, something that seems further away than ever.
https://theconversation.com/gaza-war-how-representative-is-hamas-of-ordinary-palestinians-218080
From google:
A child in Gaza has exactly the same protections under the Geneva Conventions as a child in Israel." Jun 4, 2025
The four 1949 Conventions have been ratified by 196 states, including all UN member states, both UN observers (the Holy See and the State of Palestine)
International Court of Justice case
Israel has occupied the Palestinian territories, which comprise the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip, since 1967, making it the longest military occupation in modern history.
Israel ratified the Geneva Conventions on July 6, 1951.
About 30,000 Hamas in 2.1 million Palestinians. While Hamas an unlawful combatant a genocide continues.