How Ottawa is reacting to the Israel-Hamas war

Plus, the ongoing trial of an accused white nationalist terrorist and mortgage troubles in Toronto [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on the Israel-Hamas war, the ongoing trial of a man accused of murdering a Muslim family in London and mortgage troubles in Toronto. DON’T MISS Hatem Ali/AP Photo middle east [Justin Trudeau hasn’t denounced Israel’s blockade of Gaza]( Justin Trudeau on Thursday condemned Hamas’s “invasion” of Israel and its civilian murders, calling the group a “terrorist organization” that has violated “all international laws and norms,” Tonda MacCharles, Alex Ballingall and Mark Ramzy report. But the prime minister didn’t condemn Israel’s blockade of Gaza, which cuts off water, food and electricity to the territory being bombed and which a UN human rights official says violates international law. [Take a look at the devastation and how Canada and the U.S. are addressing it](. - On the home front: Trudeau said Ottawa would send $10 million in humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, in addition to $55 million already allocated. But even Canadian officials agree it won’t help until a humanitarian corridor is established. - More: Canada’s Israel envoy is defending its efforts after being [accused of failing to act with urgency](. - Across the border: The U.S. pledged its support for Israel Thursday, with its top diplomat saying Israel “may be strong enough” to defend itself on its own, but it will “never, ever have to.” - On the ground: [Israel has ordered an unprecedented evacuation of 1 million in Gaza as a possible ground offensive looms](. - More: This video shows the last known sighting of a [Canadian who has been missing since Hamas’ attack](. - Meanwhile: A Canadian doctor trapped in Gaza [volunteers at a hospital and urges the entry of medical aid](. Canadian Press/Alexandra Newbould courts [The man accused of murdering a Muslim family gave a surprise testimony about his Christian upbringing]( Nathaniel Veltman, accused of murdering the Afzaal family in London, Ont. as an act of white nationalist terrorism, surprised a Windsor courtroom when he took the stand on Thursday. In the fifth week of the high-profile trial, Veltman detailed his fundamentalist religious upbringing, consumption of “conspiracy garbage and propaganda,” and mental health decline leading up to the deaths, Wendy Gillis reports. [Here’s how the testimony stands in stark contrast to the Veltman’s behaviour in the aftermath of the tragedy](. - Context: Veltman has pleaded not guilty to four counts of terrorism-motivated first-degree murder and one count of terrorism-motivated attempted murder in the June 6, 2021, hit-and-run that killed Salman Afzaal, 46, Madiha Salman, 44, Salman’s mother Talat Afzaal, 74, and Yumna Afzaal, 15. Only a nine-year-old child survived. - More: Jurors can also expect to hear from a forensic psychiatrist testifying about OCD, depression and substance-abuse disorders, the defence lawyer said. Lance McMillan/The Star real estate [Mortgage defaults and forced home sales are starting to climb in Toronto ]( More and more investors and homeowners who bought at the height of the pandemic are defaulting on mortgage payments due to high interest rates. And power of sales — when a homeowner misses payments and the lender is forced to sell the property — have been steadily increasing in recent months, Clarrie Feinstein reports. [Take a look at the numbers](. - Go deeper: People who bought property at the height of the pandemic when interest rates were below two per cent but home prices reached record highs are the most vulnerable, one mortgage broker said. The risk is even greater for those who bought in early 2022 with a variable-rate mortgage. - More: Private lenders are also seeing an increase in investors and house flippers facing more power of sales, as some have run out of money and are unable to pay back their loans, another mortgage broker said. WHAT ELSE A woman has testified that her sexual assault ended when [Peter Nygard was called to his next appointment](. [The Toronto incel terrorist deserves life in prison and should be sentenced as an adult]( a prosecutor has argued. [Here’s what really happened during Danielle Smith’s first 12 months as Alberta premier]( Graham Thomson writes. Toronto is capping the number of gas-burning rideshares. [These are the winners and losers in the crackdown](. Should this Toronto cop go to prison for stealing a dead man’s $834,000 estate? [The sensational fraud case has resumed for sentencing](. Should news outlets unpublish the pre-transition life of trans individuals? [The Star’s public editor weighs in on the question](. [Most Canadian flight delays are caused by reasons within an airlines’ control]( new data shows. Canadian employees are more likely to quit than employers realize. [This study calculates the odds](. At 80, Martin Scorsese still loves a risk. [The legend explains why “Killers of the Flower Moon” may be his biggest gamble yet](. Ross Atkins will remain Blue Jays GM and [more takeaways from the Mark Shapiro presser](. POV Canadian Press/Andrew Vaughan [Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker program is creating a new class of wage slaves.]( CLOSE-UP Leon Neal/Getty Images ISRAEL: Israeli soldiers continue to search for ID and belongings among the cars and tents at the Supernova Music Festival site on Thursday in Kibbutz Reim. After large-scale attacks by Hamas, Israel has sealed off Gaza and launched sustained retaliatory air strikes. [On the seventh day of war, the fallout between the two is catastrophic](. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_201603). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [View in Browser]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](