The federal government says it expects the flow of foreign nationals leaving the war-torn Gaza Strip to Egypt will continue in the coming days, even as Canadians had been warned that their safety could not be guaranteed if they chose to make the trip.
Global Affairs Canada said Wednesday night (Nov. 1) that it was aware of reports that one Canadian citizen was able to leave the Palestinian territory at the Rafah border crossing with the help of a third party, but offered no further information.
害羞草研究所淐anada has one of the largest contingents of nationals in Gaza,害羞草研究所� the statement from the department said. 害羞草研究所淲e expect further crossings daily over the coming days.害羞草研究所�
A list of those allowed out published Wednesday by the General Authority for Border Crossings in Gaza included citizens of Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Japan and Jordan 害羞草研究所� but not Canada.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for all Canadians to be allowed out.
害羞草研究所淲e of course continue to unequivocally condemn Hamas害羞草研究所檚 abhorrent terrorism and Israel has the right to defend itself, but the price of justice cannot be the continued suffering of all Palestinian civilians,害羞草研究所� he said in Ottawa.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e calling (for) the liberation of hostages, on aid to flow in and on Canadians and their families to get out of Gaza through the Rafah crossing.害羞草研究所�
Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly said she had heard there could be another opportunity on Thursday, although she did not say whether that would include Canadians.
害羞草研究所淭here seems to be an agreement. We害羞草研究所檒l see whether it holds, because things are very fluid,害羞草研究所� Joly said in French after giving a speech to the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations. 害羞草研究所淭here are a few nationals who came out today. I hear that there could be more tomorrow, so that害羞草研究所檚 why I害羞草研究所檓 in contact with my Israeli, Egyptian and also Qatari counterparts.害羞草研究所�
Meanwhile, the daughter of a Canadian stuck in Gaza said her father has been warned that the federal government cannot guarantee the safety of Canadians who might try to enter Egypt.
Dalia Salim, a resident of London, Ont., who is trying to get her 66-year-old Canadian father out of Gaza, shared an email she said the family received that was sent to people registered with Global Affairs Canada for updates.
害羞草研究所淭he decision to cross via Rafah is yours to take and the government of Canada cannot guarantee your safety and security,害羞草研究所� said the email, which addressed reports that foreign nationals would soon be permitted to leave.
害羞草研究所淐anadian consular services will try to assist you as best they can on the Egyptian side but Canada does not have representatives at, or near, the border,害羞草研究所� it added.
The email asks Canadians to phone the general line for the Cairo embassy, which outside of operating hours uses an automated directory to refer citizens in need to a global emergency line in Ottawa.
Global Affairs Canada did not respond to questions about the email or its contents, including whether it is authentic. It also did not say why consular officials are not near Rafah, and what services Canada plans to offer.
害羞草研究所淲e are in regular contact and continually try to reach all Canadians in Gaza to check in with them and give them the latest information available,害羞草研究所� the department said in its update Wednesday evening.
害羞草研究所淲e have plans in place to receive Canadians, permanent residents and family members once they cross Rafah, to provide any support necessary, including documentation and onward travel to Canada.害羞草研究所�
Salim called communications from the Canadian government disorganized. She said she was previously receiving emails for evacuations out of Israel, despite her father being in Gaza.
害羞草研究所淭he process has been very, very, very unorganized. And you害羞草研究所檙e putting people at risk because of this disorganization,害羞草研究所� she said, adding that her father was in Gaza trying to help his mother and was unable to wait indefinitely at the border crossing.
害羞草研究所淢y dad spends his day trying to find clean water and canned food for the family. That害羞草研究所檚 literally how he spends his day.害羞草研究所�
Liberal MP Rob Oliphant, the parliamentary secretary to Joly, said Wednesday that consular staff have been working around the clock, but sometimes they cannot reach Canadians due to internet-connectivity issues in Gaza.
Mansour Shouman, a Canadian in Gaza with his wife and five children, said he couldn害羞草研究所檛 understand why Canada appeared to be so far behind several other countries.
害羞草研究所淪hame on them,害羞草研究所� he said of the Canadian government in a phone call, as the sounds of sirens and people scrambling could be heard in the background while he sheltered at a hospital in southern Gaza.
害羞草研究所淭his is not the Canadian government that we elected that supports human rights. They害羞草研究所檝e been very active in evacuating Israeli Canadians since the first day. History will not forget what they are doing.害羞草研究所�
Shouman called on Canadians to pressure Ottawa to help evacuate citizens faster from Gaza and speak up against the war.
The federal government organized evacuation flights from Israel last month for Canadian citizens, permanent residents and eligible family members.
Global Affairs Canada also said Wednesday it has helped 65 citizens, permanent residents and eligible family members leave the West Bank, another Palestinian territory, since the conflict began. It said it is in touch with 49 people who are still there, as well as 459 people in Gaza and 38 in Israel.
Shouman 害羞草研究所� who was born in Gaza, lived in Calgary for more than a decade and became a Canadian citizen in 2006 害羞草研究所� moved back to Gaza three years ago. He said he is hoping his wife and children will be able to evacuate, while he remains behind.
害羞草研究所淚 cannot leave the Palestinian people here going through what they害羞草研究所檙e going through,害羞草研究所� he said.
Mahmoud Saleh, a Canadian citizen in Gaza with his pregnant wife, said he was disappointed in his government and wanted to leave as soon as he could.
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 know what they害羞草研究所檙e waiting for,害羞草研究所� Saleh said, adding he has not heard from the Canadian government for more than two weeks.
害羞草研究所淓verything is unbelievable. The scenes are insane 害羞草研究所� everybody害羞草研究所檚 in tents, there害羞草研究所檚 no power. There害羞草研究所檚 a big water problem. It害羞草研究所檚 insanely dense.害羞草研究所�
Saleh said he escaped to a refugee camp two days ago after a bomb dropped 30 metres from the home he was sheltering at and he was hit by shrapnel.
害羞草研究所淚 was lucky I survived,害羞草研究所� he said.
Following a speech in Toronto on Wednesday evening, the prime minister met privately with Palestinian Canadians who have relatives in Gaza.
Reem Sultan, who has extended family in the besieged enclave and was at the Trudeau meeting, told reporters that participants were urging the government to press for 害羞草研究所渢he safe evacuation of our families trapped in Gaza.害羞草研究所�
Gaza, home to 2.3 million people, is in the grip of a severe humanitarian crisis amid the siege imposed since an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel. Since 2007, Gaza has been controlled by Hamas, which Canada considers a terrorist organization. Over half the territory害羞草研究所檚 population has fled their homes, and supplies of food, medicine, water and fuel are running low.
The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza says the Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has reached 8,805. In the occupied West Bank, 130 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids.
More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, most of them civilians slain in the initial Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. In addition, around 240 hostages were taken from Israel into Gaza by the militant group.
害羞草研究所� With files from Dylan Robertson in Ottawa and The Associated Press
Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press
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