Close X
Saturday, November 16, 2024
ADVT 
National

Canada pulls diplomats' kids out of Israel as fear of broader war builds

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 08 Aug, 2024 10:29 AM
  • Canada pulls diplomats' kids out of Israel as fear of broader war builds

The Canadian government says it decided to pull its diplomats' children and their guardians out of Israel, amid fears over an expanded Mideast war.

Global Affairs Canada says it has approved the temporary relocation of the children and their guardians to a safe third country.

Embassy staff are expected to remain in Israel.

"The Embassy of Canada to Israel in Tel Aviv, the Embassy of Canada to Lebanon in Beirut, and the Representative Office of Canada to the Palestinian Authority, all remain fully operational and continue to provide essential services to Canadians, including consular services," Global Affairs Canada said in a statement Wednesday evening. 

Diplomats stationed in nearby Ramallah in the West Bank and in Beirut, Lebanon, do not have dependents living with them. 

"Staff at our missions in Lebanon and Ramallah remain in place and are being regularly updated on the ongoing situation and the measures Global Affairs Canada is taking," the department said. 

Tensions in the Middle East have sparked fears about an all-out war after the killing last week of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and Hamas's top political leader in Iran.

On Saturday, the government warned Canadians to avoid all travel to Israel due to the "ongoing regional armed conflict and the unpredictable security situation."

The government also advises against travelling to the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jerusalem and Lebanon. 

The current conflict broke out on Oct 7, after Hamas launched a deadly surprise attack on Israel that killed an estimated 1,200 people. The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza says more than 39,100 Palestinians have since been killed in the war.

The Gaza Strip has been ravaged by the conflict, which has also seen a previously unprecedented direct assault on Israel by Iran, as well as Israeli attacks on Iran and Lebanon, including the capital city of Beirut.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with Jordan's King Abdullah II earlier this week to express his "deep concern" over the risk of expanded conflict between Israel and Iran, as well as Hezbollah and other Iran-aligned groups. 

"The leaders underscored the urgent need to avoid further escalation, which puts the lives of civilians in the region at risk," the Prime Minister's Office said in a summary of the Tuesday call. 

MORE National ARTICLES

4 in hospital after 2 vehicle crash in Kelowna

4 in hospital after 2 vehicle crash in Kelowna
Four people are in hospital after a two-vehicle crash in Kelowna. R-C-M-P say it happened last night on Highway 33 when Toyota collided with a Dodge.  The Mounties say all four were taken to hospital in critical condition.

4 in hospital after 2 vehicle crash in Kelowna

Bank card scam in Burnaby

Bank card scam in Burnaby
Mounties are warning of the latest bank card scam that has taken in a few people in Burnaby. Police say they've had five reports of people getting calls from someone saying their bank or credit card had been compromised.   

Bank card scam in Burnaby

Female dead in Sooke

Female dead in Sooke
Police in Sooke say a female has died after being struck by a vehicle. R-C-M-P say the incident happened at about 5:30 this morning. Police say emergency responders attempted to save the woman, but she didn't survive.

Female dead in Sooke

Assault of teenage boy in park

Assault of teenage boy in park
Mounties in North Vancouver are probing the alleged sexual assault of a teenage boy inside a public park last week. Investigators with North Vancouver R-C-M-P say the suspect approached the teen from behind and sexually assaulted the youth at the Inter River Park washroom.  

Assault of teenage boy in park

'Very dangerous': avalanche warning issued as heavy snowfall hits B.C.

'Very dangerous': avalanche warning issued as heavy snowfall hits B.C.
Avalanche Canada has issued a warning for wide swaths of the British Columbia Interior into parts of Alberta, with "very dangerous" conditions forecast to persist until Monday. The warning applies for mountainous regions of southwestern and northwestern B.C., as well as the eastern part of the province including the Rockies into Alberta's Kananaskis Country.  

'Very dangerous': avalanche warning issued as heavy snowfall hits B.C.

Former prime minister Brian Mulroney dead at 84, says daughter

Former prime minister Brian Mulroney dead at 84, says daughter
Former prime minister Brian Mulroney is dead at the age of 84, his daughter Caroline says in a social media post. The country's 18th prime minister died peacefully and surrounded by family, she said in a post on X. 

Former prime minister Brian Mulroney dead at 84, says daughter