Carney Unleashes $100 Million Palestine Aid Bombshell at UN as Gaza Crisis Deepens

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced C$100 million (£53 million) in new aid for Palestinians while opening the door to expanding Canada's police-training role from the West Bank into Gaza, if security conditions eventually allow it. Reuters reported that C$80 million (£43 million) of the package is for humanitarian aid, while C$20 million (£11 million) will support peace and security capacity building.

Carney made the announcement on Tuesday, 22 September, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, as he warned that the prospect of a two-state solution remains distant.

Canada Opens Door to Gaza Police Training

The striking part of the package is not simply its size. A portion of the money is tied to Palestinian security initiatives, including a multi-year project to train Palestinian police.

C$80 million (£43 million) will go towards humanitarian assistance, while C$20 million (£11 million) will fund development and security initiatives. Carney also said Canada is prepared to extend its existing police-training support to Gaza when conditions permit.

That does not mean Canadian police are being deployed to Gaza now.

The existing Canadian role involves the RCMP training Palestinian police officers in the West Bank. Separately, Canada contributes to Operation PROTEUS, a Canadian Armed Forces mission supporting the Palestinian Authority Security Forces through training advice and other capacity-building work. Canada's Department of National Defence says Operation PROTEUS supports the Office of the Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, with Canadian Armed Forces personnel helping build the capacity of Palestinian Authority Security Forces.

Carney said Canada would continue working with others through Operation PROTEUS and 'stand ready to extend that support to Gaza when conditions permit'.

For Ottawa, that puts the Carney Gaza police mission firmly inside a much larger question about what Palestinian security structures could look like in a future post-war Gaza.

Carney Ties Aid to Two-State Push

Carney presented the new Canada-Palestine aid package as part of Canada's effort to preserve the possibility of a Palestinian state living alongside Israel.

'A year on, the prospect of a two-state solution remains distant,' Carney said, arguing that international support for the solution means little unless conditions change.

He also described the human cost of the conflict in stark terms, saying Palestinians in Gaza are experiencing 'immense human suffering', while Israelis face 'existential threats from Hamas and from Iran and its proxies'.

Ottawa says it has now pledged more than C$600 million (£320 million) in aid for Palestinian civilians since the Israel-Gaza war began in October 2023.

Canadian Aid Projects Under Scrutiny

The fresh funding arrives as Parliament examines what has happened to aid projects previously backed by Canada.

Documents tabled this week show that projects receiving at least C$3.68 million (£2 million) in funding from countries including Canada have been destroyed, damaged or abandoned in the West Bank. The documents were released following a request from NDP MP Heather McPherson.

Global Affairs Canada says Ottawa often funds projects alongside other countries, meaning the C$3.68 million (£2 million) figure is not a tally of Canadian taxpayer money alone. It also says it cannot determine exactly which Canadian-funded projects have been affected, particularly in Gaza, where access is restricted.

The Carney government has yet to decide whether to seek compensation from Israel or help finance repairs.

Michael Bueckert, vice-president of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, criticised the new funding, arguing that Canada should also address the destruction of aid projects.

E1 Settlement Raises Stakes

The wider Mark Carney Gaza plan is unfolding against another major flashpoint, Israel's E1 settlement project in the West Bank.

Canada, France and the UK said earlier this month that settlement expansion, including E1, poses a direct and urgent threat to the two-state solution. The countries also announced steps to restrict trade in goods from settlements.

Canada and other governments have warned that E1 could drive a wedge through the West Bank and undermine the territorial continuity needed for a future Palestinian state.

Carney's latest move therefore goes beyond a simple C$100 million Palestine aid announcement. Canada is putting fresh money into humanitarian relief while supporting Palestinian security training and keeping open the possibility of expanding that work into Gaza.

For now, any Gaza police-training role remains conditional on security conditions. But Carney has made clear that Canada's involvement could eventually reach beyond emergency assistance, putting Palestinian security and the future of Gaza at the heart of Ottawa's wider two-state push.