REUTERS/Alex Filip/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOTTAWA, Nov 23 (Reuters) - The number of antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes in Toronto, Canada's largest city, has spiked significantly since the start of the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas on Oct. 7, authorities said on Friday. Police chief Myron Demkiw said 78 hate crimes had been reported between Oct. 7 and Nov. 20, compared to 37 in the same time frame in 2022. Since the Oct. 7 Hamas raid into southern Israel and subsequent Israeli retaliation, 25 people have been arrested and 64 charges laid in relation to reported hate incidents. "(Hate crimes) can traumatize not just victims, but all members of the targeted community and beyond," said Demkiw. Toronto has temporarily boosted the size of its hate crime unit to 29 from the usual six.

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Persons: Alex Filip, Myron Demkiw, Demkiw, David Ljunggren, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Muslim Association of Canada, REUTERS, Rights OTTAWA, . Police, Thomson Locations: London , Ontario, Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Toronto, Canada's, Gaza, Israel