Mayor Chow pulls video welcoming Gaza refugee family after online abuse

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says she had to take down a social media video welcoming a Palestinian family to the city after the family faced a wave of hateful comments, the Toronto Star reported this week.

The video, originally shared on Instagram, showed Chow greeting a mother and her children who had just arrived in Toronto after fleeing Gaza.

Smiling children rummaged through bags of toys and snacks as Chow told them: “It is so wonderful to have you arriving to our great city. We’re opening our arms and welcoming you.”

Through an interpreter, the women thanked the mayor but spoke of the heartbreak of being separated from their husbands, who remain in Gaza suffering from hunger.

Chow’s post also called on Israel to allow desperately needed food and water into Gaza, warning that famine should never be used as a weapon.

But after abusive and misleading online comments began targeting the refugee family, her office decided to remove the video for their safety.

The incident, first reported by the Toronto Star, comes as international concern grows over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began nearly two years ago, according to health officials in the territory.

For Chow, the episode highlights how even acts of welcome and compassion in Toronto can become caught in the crossfire of global conflict—and how vulnerable new arrivals can be to hate.