Carney Meets Victims’ Parents After Weeks Of Pressure From Families Over Oct. 7 Losses

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney met today with the parents of two Canadians murdered by the terrorist organisation Hamas on October 7, 2023, after families publicly complained he had not met with next of kin since taking office. Carney posted about the meeting on social media and offered his condolences to the grieving parents.

The gathering followed mounting criticism from relatives of Canadians murdered on Oct. 7 who said the prime minister had ignored repeated requests for meetings. Families made their concerns public around the second anniversary of the attacks and said they felt overlooked by Ottawa while leaders in other countries had met with victims’ relatives. “It was just very, very frustrating to understand that my prime minister in Canada does not understand the nightmare I am in,” one family member told reporters.

Carney’s brief public message acknowledged the meeting and named the victims. “Today I met with the parents of two Canadians murdered by the terrorist organisation Hamas on October 7th, 2023,” the prime minister wrote. He praised the parents’ “remarkable strength in the face of unimaginable grief” and vowed that the victims “will not be forgotten. Not by me, not by our government, and not by our country.”

The two victims include Adi Vital-Kaploun and Alexandre Look. Both were among eight Canadians murdered in the Hamas assaults that struck civilians across southern Israel. Adi Vital-Kaploun, a dual Israeli-Canadian, was murdered on Kibbutz Holit, where she died defending her family. Her mother, Jacqui, and other relatives have been vocal in seeking meetings with Canadian officials. Alexandre Look, a Montreal native, was murdered at the Supernova music festival. His parents are named Alain and Raquel.

Relatives and advocates have urged the federal government to do more to support victims’ families and to pursue accountability for the attacks. A group called the Association of Families of the Canadian Victims of October 7 publicly pressed the government this month and said Carney had not met with them despite repeated outreach. The families pointed out that previous Canadian prime ministers had met with relatives who requested meetings following mass-casualty events, and they said they expected the same from Carney.

Government officials declined to provide a detailed account of the meeting beyond Carney’s public message. Officials said Ottawa remains engaged with partners on efforts relating to hostages, justice, and humanitarian concerns stemming from the Oct. 7 attacks. The federal government has issued statements marking the anniversary of the attacks and has recognised the scale of the atrocities.

Community leaders welcomed the meeting but said it should have come earlier. Jewish communal organisations have repeatedly called for sustained government attention to the victims and for clear signals that Canada stands with Jewish and Israeli communities against terrorism and antisemitism. Some families said the meeting was a necessary step toward reconciliation with Ottawa, but stressed that meetings must be followed by concrete policy action and continued engagement.

For the bereaved parents, the personal toll remains profound and ongoing. Public tributes and media profiles of the victims have documented stories of courage, sacrifice, and loss. Families continue to demand accountability and to press for remembrance on behalf of loved ones taken in the attacks. The meeting with Carney offered a public acknowledgement of that pain, but it also highlighted the political pressure that pushed Ottawa to act.

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This article is based on verified information from the Prime Minister of Canada’s press statements and social media posts, The Canadian Press coverage published by CityNews and other outlets, Times of Israel reporting, and family memorial and community reporting on the Canadians killed on October 7, 2023.