Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said she believes that the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is now more possible than it was before the war between Israel and Hamas started more than two months ago.

When asked by CTV's question period host Vassy Kapelos in an interview aired this Sunday whether she thought the viability of the two-state solution had diminished since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, Joly said she believed "quite the opposite."

She continued, "I think this conflict is very difficult for Israel, and for the Palestinians, and very difficult for the world, not just in Canada because we have seen the rise of anti-Semitism, the rise of Islamophobia, the rise of tensions only.”

She added: "But this is the case here, this is the case in Europe, this is the case south of the border, this is the case in Arab countries, so, more than ever, many many countries are concerned about the state of the region."

Joly said she believes it "was not the case" before the October 7 attacks, which renewed global focus on the Middle East, prompting her to have "many conversations" about the topic with her counterparts in the region, because it is also in the interest of the world to see the two-state solution happen.”

The Canadian government has called for a two-state solution in the region, renewing this approach in a recent joint statement with Australia and New Zealand, which also calls for "efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire.”

Joly told Kapelos: "We have also said that Hamas, as a terrorist organization, should not participate in any future governance of Gaza, because we believe there is a path toward the two-state solution, and we need to make sure we reach the two-state solution process.”

When asked her opinion on whether such a compromise could become a sustainable reality - considering that only about a third of Israelis and Palestinians believe it possible, according to some polls - Joly said: "There is no other alternative option.”

She said: "There is no other way,” we need a constructive government in Israel that believes in the two-state solution, and we need the right Palestinian voices, not Hamas, who believe in it."

She added: "It has been 30 years and we have been talking about it, but there have been many measures to undermine it, including from both sides." "And I think we as Western leaders have to realize that we have not done a good enough job putting this solution on the table, talking about it, but not enough action.”

Joly confirmed that she is "committed" to doing the work and finding "the right parties at the table to give the proper credibility" to those discussions.

Joly also discussed in her interview whether she believes Israel has violated international humanitarian law in its response to the October 7 attacks launched by Hamas, and whether Canada would classify the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity.