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TSX Ends April Under Pressure as BoC and Fed Hold Rates Amid Iran Tensions

April 30, 2026 | Canadian Money Brief TSX Closes Lower to End April as Central Banks Hold Firm, Oil Stays Elevated Canadian equities slipped on Wednesday, with the S&P/TSX Composite Index falling 0.8% to close at 33,318 as both the Bank of Canada and the U.S. Federal Reserve held interest rates. Rate Holds on Both Sides of the Border The BoC kept its policy rate at 2.25%, maintaining a wait-and-see approach amid ongoing US-Iran tensions that are stoking inflationary fears. South of the border, the Fed held its benchmark rate in the 3.5%–3.75% range, citing the spike in oil prices and heightened economic uncertainty from the Iran conflict. Banks Dragged, Energy Lifted The rate holds weighed on Canada's big banks. BMO was down 2%, Royal Bank of Canada fell 1.3%, and TD dropped 0.8%. Energy stocks were a bright spot, however. Canadian Natural Resources gained nearly 2% while Agnico Eagle lost nearly 3%, as gold prices softened while crude surged. Oil and OPEC+ in Focus WT...
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Hamas Stands Firm: No Disarmament Without Palestinian Statehood

                                Palestinian fighters from the armed wing of Hamas take part in a military parade

In a defiant statement issued Saturday, Hamas declared it will not disarm unless an independent and fully sovereign Palestinian state—with Jerusalem as its capital—is established. The announcement comes amid stalled ceasefire negotiations with Israel and growing international pressure to end the war in Gaza.

The militant group, which has governed Gaza since 2007, reaffirmed its commitment to "armed resistance" as a legitimate right under international law. This stance directly challenges a key Israeli demand for Hamas to lay down its weapons as a prerequisite for any peace agreement.

Recent mediation efforts led by Qatar and Egypt, and supported by France and Saudi Arabia, proposed a two-state solution that includes Hamas transferring its arms to the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. However, Hamas rejected the proposal, citing the absence of a concrete path to statehood.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed the idea of a Palestinian state, calling it a “platform to destroy Israel.” He criticized countries like the UK and Canada for their plans to recognize Palestinian statehood, arguing such moves reward terrorism.

The conflict, which began with Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, has resulted in over 60,000 Palestinian deaths and a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Despite mounting global calls for peace, both sides remain entrenched, with hostages still held and ceasefire talks at a standstill.

As the international community weighs recognition of Palestinian statehood, Hamas’s ultimatum underscores the deep divisions and unresolved tensions that continue to fuel one of the world’s most intractable conflicts.


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