The Toronto Star disclosed that Canada's federal law-enforcement agency, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), is investigating potential war crimes linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict, yet the agency has shared few details. The RCMP confirmed the probe's existence but refused to clarify its extent, without noting whether any specific Israelis were being scrutinized. Canada has seen a sharp rise in anti-Israeli sentiment in recent months, with Jewish residents taking to the streets to take countermeasures as well as the Israeli government issuing a travel warning.
Per The Toronto Star, the RCMP began this inquiry discreetly in early 2024, unlike its widely publicized Ukraine war crimes investigation, which employed a hotline, dedicated webpage, and public campaigns to gather evidence. The Ukraine effort included airport signs, media interviews, and questionnaires targeting displaced Ukrainians' testimonies.
The Toronto Star explained that such probes, termed "structural investigations," operate under the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Program (CAHWCP), a joint effort by the RCMP, Department of Justice, Canada Border Services Agency, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The program seeks to block war criminals from finding refuge in Canada and pursues justice by sharing evidence globally or prosecuting domestically, though Canadian trials are uncommon.
The RCMP, in a statement to The Toronto Star, affirmed its neutrality, noting, "As a neutral law enforcement body, the RCMP considers allegations from all parties involved with impartiality." It declined further comment to safeguard the investigation's integrity.
Canada, the UK, and France have recently criticized Israel's expanded Gaza operations and threatened sanctions, while urging Hamas to free hostages. Canada also called on Israel to abandon plans for 22 new West Bank settlements, labeling them illegal.
The Department of Justice informed The Toronto Star that structural investigations may start when evidence of war crimes or genocide exists and a significant related immigrant community in Canada can provide evidence. The Toronto Star referenced a widely discredited UN commission reports alleging war crimes by both Hamas and Israel since October 2023. The Justice Department confirmed that the RCMP independently decides to launch such probes, declining to discuss active cases beyond Ukraine.
The Toronto Star highlighted the RCMP's customized approach to investigations, noting the Israel-Hamas probe's lower profile compared to the Ukraine effort, announced six weeks after Russia's 2022 invasion. Marco Mendicino, then-Public Safety Minister and currently Prime Minister Mark Carney's chief of staff, told The Globe and Mail that accountability and real-time evidence collection were critical in Ukraine.
"As we see human casualties pile up and the scale and size of this humanitarian crisis grow alarmingly, it is important that we hold those who are committing the atrocities responsible," the former minister said at the time. "It is essential that we preserve the record of what happened and what is happening in Ukraine in real time," added Mendicino, who has been serving on a temporary basis as Prime Minister Mark Carney's chief of staff.
