Gaza ceasefire brings relief to groups in Toronto but advocates say deal should have happened sooner

Pro-Palestinian activists and Jewish leaders in Toronto say they are relieved at news of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas to pause the 15-month war in the Gaza Strip.

Pro-Palestinian groups say they will continue to protest in Toronto because they want to hold Israel accountable for the bombardment in Gaza. Meanwhile, Jewish leaders say they hope the ceasefire deal will lead to a decrease in antisemitic attacks in the city.

Qatar said the ceasefire deal will begin Jan. 19, with Hamas releasing dozens of hostages in phases in return for Israel releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and allowing more aid into Gaza.

Yara Shoufani, an organizer for the Toronto chapter of Palestinian Youth Movement, said Wednesday that the organization welcomes the news of a ceasefire.

"Of course, there is a huge sense of relief at the news of a ceasefire," Shoufani said 

"We see people in Gaza celebrating and even starting to plan their return to their homes, which they were displaced from, some as long as 15 months ago. But we celebrate and feel joy at this news, we also know that this news is coming 15 months too late."

Shoufani said Israel has "unleashed unimaginable violence" on Gaza. She added that Palestinians and the international community need not only to begin rebuilding Gaza, but also to document what Amnesty International has said constitutes genocide against the Palestinians. Israel has vehemently denied the accusation, arguing it has respected international law.

Richard Robertson, director of research and advocacy at B'nai Brith Canada, a human rights organization that promotes Jewish unity and continuity, said the Jewish community hopes for less hostility than it has seen directed at it since the war began.

"The conflict has brought about an unprecedented rise in antisemitism," Robertson said.

"We've seen hate mongers targeting the community become increasingly emboldened. We've seen an insurmountable amount of pain and suffering inflicted upon our community both here and in Israel. We're looking forward to the return of the hostages and hopefully to the return of normalcy for Canada's Jewish community," he said.

Israel declared war on Hamas after the militant group staged a brutal attack in October 2023 and kidnapped scores of hostages. 

Gaza's health ministry says more than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in the subsequent bombardment, while Israel says 1,200 people were killed in Hamas's initial attack. Both numbers include combatants.

Shoufani said the same ceasefire deal was on the table in May 2024 and Israel decided to wage war despite that proposal. The international community has failed to hold Israel accountable for the war and to stop the violence, she added.

"I think the reality is this deal just stops this particular moment of genocide. Palestinians have been fighting for freedom for over 75 years and the people of Gaza in particular have faced many, many moments like the moment we see today, of course on a smaller scale," she said.