Close X
Monday, November 18, 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

Time not right to stage play amid Gaza tensions, says Victoria, B.C., theatre

Time not right to stage play amid Gaza tensions, says Victoria, B.C., theatre
Tensions connected to the war between Israel and Hamas have prompted a British Columbia theatre company to cancel the scheduled run of a play set in the region. Victoria's Belfry Theatre says in a statement the timing isn't right to stage The Runner by Canadian writer and actor Christopher Morris and it could "further tensions" in the community.

Time not right to stage play amid Gaza tensions, says Victoria, B.C., theatre

Israel's peers warn against displacing Palestinians in Gaza to places like Canada

Israel's peers warn against displacing Palestinians in Gaza to places like Canada
Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said his country should "encourage migration" of Palestinians from Gaza and re-establish Israeli settlements there, echoing similar comments from National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller condemnedremarks from both politicians as "inflammatory and irresponsible."   

Israel's peers warn against displacing Palestinians in Gaza to places like Canada

Propane leak at a gas station: Surrey RCMP

Propane leak at a gas station: Surrey RCMP
Surrey R-C-M-P say there's been a propane leak at a gas station. The station's surrounding area in the Port Kells neighbourhood has been evacuated. Mounties say roads have also been shut down.  

Propane leak at a gas station: Surrey RCMP

PMO clarifies Trudeau and family stayed 'at no cost' during vacation in Jamaica

PMO clarifies Trudeau and family stayed 'at no cost' during vacation in Jamaica
The Prime Minister's Office said in a statement on Wednesday that the federal ethics commissioner was consulted "on these details prior to the travel to ensure that the rules were followed." The office offered the clarification the day before Trudeau's holiday on the Caribbean island is set to conclude. He is there with Sophie Grégoire Trudeau and their three children.

PMO clarifies Trudeau and family stayed 'at no cost' during vacation in Jamaica

Canada, allies warn Houthi rebels to stop attacks on shipping vessels in Red Sea

Canada, allies warn Houthi rebels to stop attacks on shipping vessels in Red Sea
Canada and some of its allies are warning the Houthis that they will bear responsibility for the consequences of their continued attacks on ships in the Red Sea. The Iran-backed rebel group has been firing long-range missiles at Israel from Yemen and attacking civilian cargo ships, and the statement said the group has been significantly escalating its efforts in the past week.

Canada, allies warn Houthi rebels to stop attacks on shipping vessels in Red Sea

B.C. school district fined for failing to address student's anxiety

B.C. school district fined for failing to address student's anxiety
An unnamed school district in British Columbia has been ordered by the province's human rights tribunal to pay $5,000 to a student for failing to accommodate her anxiety disorder. Tribunal vice-chair Devyn Cousineau says in a decision released last month that the school district "failed to take reasonable steps to investigate and address the female student's anxiety over her transition from elementary school to high school.

B.C. school district fined for failing to address student's anxiety