Israel鈥檚 envoy to Canada is joining calls for the federal Liberals to clearly state Ottawa鈥檚 position as the International Court of Justice considers an allegation that his country is committinggenocide against Palestinians.

鈥淚srael urges Canada to leave no room for misinterpretation on a matter that is crystal clear,鈥� Ambassador Iddo Moed said in a Thursday news release.

And as the Israeli government rejects the idea of a two-state solution to the protracted conflict, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insists he won鈥檛 be deterred from calling for one.

The highest court of the United Nations held two days of public hearings last week as South Africa argued that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

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Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages in a series of attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel responded with tremendous force in Gaza, insisting its attacks are intended to take out Hamas and its supporters, not civilians.

It also cut off supply deliveries and electricity, leading to a humanitarian crisis and desperate pleas for food, medicine and water. Limited humanitarian aid has been allowed into Gaza over the last 100 days.

The health ministry in Gaza, which is run by Hamas, says more than 24,000 people in the territory have been killed in the conflict. It does not differentiate between civilians and Hamas fighters.

More than 100 Israeli hostages were released during a temporary ceasefire in November, but Israel has said it believes more than 100 remain captive in Gaza and at least two dozen have died while being held hostage.

South Africa said while it condemns Hamas for its brutal attack, there is no justification for the scale of Israel鈥檚 response in Gaza.

It has asked the court to order Israel to cease its assault on the Palestinian territory, saying that statements by senior Israeli officials suggest a policy of collective punishment and annihilating Palestinians.

Israel rejected the genocide claim outright and argued in the court that South Africa鈥檚 claim was 鈥渄istorted鈥� and that it has the right to defend itself against Hamas. Israel鈥檚 lawyers argue that heated statements by government officials do not reflect state policy.

Moed noted that many of Canada鈥檚 allies and peers have stated a clear position on the case, which he argued will have implications for the rules-based international order.

Yet Trudeau has not said whether Canada agrees with or rejects South Africa鈥檚 stance, or even if Ottawa would recognize the court鈥檚 ruling if it does find Israel to be guilty of genocide.

Last Friday, when asked about Canada鈥檚 position at a news conference, Trudeau said that Canada supports the court, but that does not mean it supports the 鈥減remise鈥� of South Africa鈥檚 case.

In a statement published later that same day, Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly repeated the same statement, but also said the case for genocide requires compelling legal evidence and that the bar to prove genocide is quite high.

On Wednesday, Trudeau insisted that his position was clear, but many organizations said the comments were confusing.

鈥淚鈥檓 not going to comment on what could be an eventual finding by a process that we support as it unfolds,鈥� Trudeau said.

Canada did not issue a statement on the case until both South Africa and Israel had made their arguments before the court, by which point many of Canada鈥檚 peers had already released statements on whether they鈥檇 respect the court鈥檚 eventual findings and how they feel about the case.

University of the Fraser Valley criminology professor Mark Kersten has said the government is using 鈥渨affling language鈥� to avoid taking a stance on a case that could further divide the Liberal caucus and the Canadian electorate.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs has started a letter-writing campaign, urging the Liberals to ditch the 鈥渃onfusing and ambiguous language鈥� around the case and to oppose South Africa鈥檚 case.

South Africa says more than 50 countries support its case, including all 22 members of the Arab League. Most Western countries that traditionally support Israel have either stayed neutral or rejected the case outright, a point Moed highlighted on Thursday.

Trudeau and Joly鈥檚 offices did not provide a responsewhen asked to respond to Moed鈥檚 criticism and to spell out Canada鈥檚 stance.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh told reporters Thursday that 鈥渨hatever the court determines should be what Canada then respects.鈥� The Conservatives have deemed South Africa鈥檚 case to be baseless.

In a nationally televised news conference Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu struck a defiant tone when responding to calls from the United States to take steps toward establishing a Palestinian state after the war.

He said in Hebrew that Israel 鈥渕ust have security control over the entire territory west of the Jordan River,鈥� adding that this 鈥渃ollides with the idea of sovereignty.鈥�

Netanyahu argued a Palestinian state would become a launching pad for attacks on Israel and the U.S., and he decried any American 鈥渁ttempt to coerce us to a reality that would endanger the state of Israel.鈥�

Trudeau was unfazed by those comments, saying they reflect Netanyahu鈥檚 long-standing position and what he conveyed to Trudeau in a call last month.

鈥淭he only way forward for the region, indeed, the only way forward for a safe and secure Israel, is to have a Palestinian state that is also safe and secure with internationally recognized borders,鈥� Trudeau told reporters in Nunavut.

He said Canada鈥檚 engagement in the region is meant to work toward an eventual two-state solution. 鈥淩ight now, obviously, the level of conflict and tensions means it鈥檚 not for tomorrow.鈥�

鈥� With files from The Associated Press.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press