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At a recent public inquiry into foreign interference, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, faced questions about a tweet she posted on October 17, 2023. The tweet condemned the bombing of a Gaza hospital, which she described as “an unthinkable act” and “absolutely illegal.” However, during the inquiry, it was pointed out that the Canadian government later concluded that the explosion was not caused by an Israeli bomb, but by a rocket launched from Gaza.
Critics questioned Joly about her failure to retract or correct the tweet, which they claim was based on disinformation spread by the Gaza Health Ministry, an arm of Hamas. With over 2.6 million views, the tweet is still live, raising concerns that Joly may have unknowingly contributed to foreign interference by propagating misinformation linked to Hamas, a group considered a proxy of Iran.
Joly struggled to recall specific details of the tweet and its context during the inquiry, sparking further debate on the relevance of her actions to the investigation into foreign interference in Canada’s democratic processes. The discussion remains heated, as the commission seeks to determine the impact of foreign disinformation on Canadian politics.
