“The price of justice cannot be the continued suffering of all Palestinian civilians”

Plus, kids caught in an underfunded mental health system and a hit to preconstruction buyers [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on mounting Palestinian civilian deaths, Ontario’s underfunded mental health system and the hit to preconstruction homebuyers. DON’T MISS Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR [Justin Trudeau speaks on Palestinian civilians]( In his most pointed criticism of Israel’s military campaign so far, the prime minister reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself but said the “price of justice” for the Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks should not be paid by “all Palestinian civilians” in Gaza. Trudeau stopped short, however, of demanding a ceasefire, Tonda MacCharles reports. [These are some of the conversations he’s having with Palestinians and what could come next](. - Context: The Israel-Hamas war has claimed roughly 1,400 Israeli lives, according to Israel’s government and more than 8,800 Palestinian civilian lives, according to Gaza officials. The mounting Palestinian death toll is forcing Israel’s allies to justify their ongoing support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. - Go deeper: More than 3,600 Palestinian children have been killed in just three weeks of war. [Among them were newborns and toddlers, avid readers, aspiring journalists and boys who thought they’d be safe in a church](. - Meanwhile: Global Affairs Canada is ready for “further crossings daily” out of the Gaza Strip, [but details for how Canadians would leave the besieged territory are scarce](. - Linda McQuaig’s take: [Jean Chretien’s courage in choosing compassion is a blueprint for Trudeau](. Lance McMillan/The Star the kids aren't all right [A child’s experience in Ontario's fragmented mental health system]( As a young teen, Mikayla often sought help at the ER so she wouldn’t harm herself. Over the course of two years, she had made about 120 trips — so many that staff told her family it was best if she stayed away unless the situation was life-threatening. But nearly each time, she was discharged without a treatment plan, her family said, and their searches for support were met with barriers and waitlists. When Mikayla needed help the most, she was one of nearly 30,000 children and youth waiting for mental health services in Ontario, Kenyon Wallace reports. [This is her experience with the province’s chronically underfunded and understaffed system](. - By the numbers: During the first 28 months of the pandemic, self-harm visits among children aged 10 to 17 increased by 29 per cent above expected levels and hospitalizations jumped 72 per cent, researchers at U of T and the Sunnybrook Research Institute found. Mental health disorders were the number one reason for hospitalizations among children aged 5 to 17 for the year ending in March 2022. - Go deeper: Some vulnerable youth spend months or years of their childhood on wait-lists, only to turn 18 and find themselves back at the start of adult wait-lists for the same services. R.J. Johnston/The Star real estate [Toronto-area buyers are walking away from deposits on new homes]( Buyers unable to close their deals on preconstruction homes are walking away from their deposits — some as high as $320,000 — as appraisals fall short or buyers are unable to qualify for a mortgage. With real estate prices softening, people are having to qualify at nine per cent interest on their mortgage. The phenomenon is particularly troubling for GTA suburbs, Clarrie Feinstein reports. [Take a closer look at an issue that’s becoming increasingly common](. - Wait, what? Some buyers walking away are trying to off-load an assignment sale — a transaction in which the original pre-construction condo buyer transfers the rights and obligations of the purchase agreement to another buyer. - More: Buyers who bought a preconstruction lowrise home, in particular, when prices were “astronomically high” with “extremely low” interest rates are having to close in a drastically changed interest rate environment, one expert said. [Smart Money newsletter launch] Get expert help with your money. If you’re looking for advice you can trust when it comes to managing your finances, you might like the Star’s new Smart Money newsletter, [sponsored by Fidelity](. Every week, Smart Money will break down what you need to know to make, save and manage your money. [Sign up for free here](. WHAT ELSE Justin Trudeau was fixing a problem. [Now his solution is a weapon for Pierre Poilievre](. Speaking of Poilievre, [he’s back to firing up the anti-vaccine mob](. Ottawa has unveiled new immigration targets and [will hold back increases in 2026](. Canada has more doctors than ever — but access is worse. [Why is that?]( Olivia Chow promised, before setting a tax rate, to consult the people. [This is what that promise looks like in action](. Alberta wants to gamble with your pension. [Danielle Smith’s roll of the dice needs to be stopped](. [New listings are up and sales are down as high interest rates freeze out first-time homebuyers]( new Toronto area data shows. An education agent accused in the Indian student fraud has taken the stand: [“They are blaming me to cover their mistakes.”]( Peter Nygard testified that he believed the case against him was “open and shut.” [Here’s what he had to say](. [The largest Christian university in the U.S. faces a record fine]( after a federal probe into alleged deception. A beloved Vietnamese takeout joint has expanded with a new GTA location. [Here’s what’s so special about it](. In “Priscilla,” [Sofia Coppola dashes our romantic delusions about Elvis and Priscilla Presley](. POV Mohammed Abed/AFP via Getty Images [My sister Shireen Abu Akleh was killed while reporting on Palestinians. As more journalists die, Israel’s onslaught continues in darkness.]( CLOSE-UP Nelson Almeida/AFP via Getty Images BRAZIL: A car rides along a dirt road in the Desert of Gilbues on September 30. Gilbues is Brazil’s worst desertification hotspot. Experts say the phenomenon is caused by rampant erosion of the region’s naturally fragile soil, exacerbated by deforestation, reckless development and climate change.  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_203086). 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](