Close X
Sunday, November 17, 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

Ridge Meadows RCMP asking hit and run driver to turn themselves in

Ridge Meadows RCMP asking hit and run driver to turn themselves in
The Ridge Meadows R-C-M-P is asking the driver of a 2000s white Toyota hatchback to turn themselves in after being involved in a hit and run last month.  Police say the vehicle hit a pedestrian on January 26th in Maple Ridge.  

Ridge Meadows RCMP asking hit and run driver to turn themselves in

Minister backs shift away from privately owned rooming hotels after B.C. fire inquest

Minister backs shift away from privately owned rooming hotels after B.C. fire inquest
British Columbia's housing minster says the province needs to shift away from accommodating vulnerable people in privately owned rooming hotels — but it won't be fast or cheap. Ravi Kahlon's remarks come after the jury in a coroner's inquest into the deadly 2022 Winters Hotel fire in Vancouver made more than two dozen safety recommendations on Monday.  

Minister backs shift away from privately owned rooming hotels after B.C. fire inquest

Street cleaning grants for Vancouver

Street cleaning grants for Vancouver
The City of Vancouver has approved 2.64-million-dollars in grants in support of street-cleaning programs this year. The grants support programs that supplement street-cleaning work completed by City crews and have been active for 24 years.

Street cleaning grants for Vancouver

B.C. Crown counsel group raises safety concerns, Eby says no move for courthouse

B.C. Crown counsel group raises safety concerns, Eby says no move for courthouse
Premier David Eby says the government is not currently considering the relocation of a provincial courthouse in downtown Vancouver, where the president of the British Columbia Crown Counsel Association says safety concerns are on the rise. A statement from Adam Dalrymple says a recent attack on a prosecutor near the courthouse at 222 Main St. underscores the need for a "serious discussion" about whether it should be moved away from the Downtown Eastside.

B.C. Crown counsel group raises safety concerns, Eby says no move for courthouse

Police apprehend foreign nationals who crossed into Canada on foot from United States

Police apprehend foreign nationals who crossed into Canada on foot from United States
A Calgary man has been arrested for human smuggling after police allege he picked up foreign nationals who crossed on foot into Manitoba from the United States last month. Mounties in Manitoba say they received information from the United States Border Patrol that a group was walking northbound along a rail line toward the Canadian border near the town of Emerson. 

Police apprehend foreign nationals who crossed into Canada on foot from United States

Delta man faces arson charges

Delta man faces arson charges
A man is facing arson charges after allegedly setting fire to the same location in Delta two days in a row. Delta police say one of the incidents happened on February 1st, when an officer saw a fire in the disposal shed of a local restaurant.

Delta man faces arson charges