Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned what he described as a "terrifying" rise in anti-Semitism and Islamophobia across the country as the war between Israel and Hamas continues.

Trudeau also reiterated his call for a humanitarian ceasefire in the conflict so that hostages can be released, foreign nationals can leave, and much-needed aid can be delivered to Gaza residents.

Speaking on his way to a party meeting in Ottawa on Wednesday, Trudeau said: "We are now witnessing a terrifying rise in anti-Semitism, where Molotov cocktails have been thrown at Jewish temples," "horrific threats of violence against Jewish businesses, and Jewish daycare centers targeted with hate."

He added, "It must stop, this is not who we are as Canadians. This is unacceptable in Canada."

Trudeau said the outbreak of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia has left Canadians "afraid in our streets," adding that "expressing hatred against Muslims, against Palestinians, and against anyone waving the Palestinian flag is unacceptable."

"This is the time when we need leadership... it is the responsibility of every Canadian to see how we acknowledge each other's pain and fear and move forward on that, "and if Canada can't figure that out, tell me where in the world will."

Israel has bombed Gaza from the air and used ground forces to split the narrow coastal strip in two following a Hamas raid on southern Israel on October 7, when gunmen killed 1,400 people, including many Canadians, and held about 240 hostages.

The Canadian government has designated Hamas as a terrorist organization, and the Hamas attack on October 7 killed 1,400 people, including many Canadians, and held about 240 people hostage. Over the past month, Israeli bombardment has killed more than 10,568 Palestinians, about 40 percent of whom are children, according to statistics from Hamas-run Gaza health officials.

Trudeau said that every day since the attacks "against innocent lives in Israel," the world is flooded with images of violence against children and the elderly. He added that a humanitarian ceasefire in hostilities is necessary to deliver aid and calm tensions.

He continued, "The humanitarian ceasefire will allow for the release of all hostages and will allow us to continue working to get all foreign nationals out of Gaza," "stop long enough ... to start working to de-escalate the situation."

Trudeau emphasized that the world must return to "imagining what the long-term future of a viable Palestinian state looks like: safe and secure alongside a safe, secure, viable, and successful Israeli state."

Liberal MP Anthony Housefather, a Jew, told reporters on Wednesday that many Canadian Jews now feel unsafe in Canada.

He said, on his way to a Liberal caucus meeting, "What I want to say right now is that I have never seen a time when Canadian Jews felt fear, anger, and frustration in a country we have been part of since before the confederation."

Housefather said that while condemning extremist activity is important, it is "very important for police across this country to monitor when protesters cross the line and engage in hate speech and call for genocide against people and call for killing or harming people."

The Jewish community center was attacked with Molotov cocktails, and the Montreal police arson unit and hate crime investigators are investigating after a Jewish community center in the city was targeted with Molotov bottles earlier this week.

Investigators found glass bottle fragments and charcoal marks on the synagogue’s front door, Beit Tikvah complex, where a small fire was ignited.

A Montreal police spokesperson said no one was injured and the damage was minor.

Since October 7, Montreal police have recorded 48 hate crimes and hate incidents against the Jewish community and 17 against the Arab Muslim community. In 2022, Montreal police recorded 72 hate crimes and hate incidents against all groups throughout the entire year.

Rabbi Aidan Scher, chief rabbi of the Machzikei Hadas congregation in Ottawa, contacted Ottawa police after receiving a threatening phone call that led to the arrest of a 29-year-old man charged with multiple crimes.

A recent Senate report on Islamophobia warned of the urgent need to take action to reverse the increasing wave of hatred against Muslims in the country.

The report stated that "Islamophobic incidents are a daily reality for many Muslims."

Othman Quick, communications director at the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said: "I believe the report is actually a confirmation of what we have seen over many years, but especially in the past few weeks, since October 7."