OTTAWA - Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Tuesday that Ottawa has suspended about 30 existing permits for arms sales to Israel, local media reported.

According to the reports, Joly said Ottawa's policy is that Canadian-made arms and components cannot be used in the Gaza Strip, regardless of how they are sent to Israel.

Ottawa stopped approving new arms permits for Israel in January though permits approved in the prior months were still active.

"We will not have any form of arms, or parts of arms, be sent to Gaza. Period. How they're being sent and where they're being sent is irrelevant," Joly was quoted as saying.

According to the reports, Canada is also blocking a contract with the US government to send Quebec-made ammunition to the Israeli Defence Forces, which was announced by Washington weeks ago.