Close X
Tuesday, November 19, 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

Video of dog mauling small goat prompts investigation in Merritt:RCMP

Video of dog mauling small goat prompts investigation in Merritt:RCMP
Police in British Columbia's southern Interior hope they can find the original owner of a small white goat that was fatally mauled by a dog. A statement from Merritt RCMP says an investigation began Nov. 24, when officers were alerted to an online post showing a pit bull in a house, violently attacking the goat as several people watched.

Video of dog mauling small goat prompts investigation in Merritt:RCMP

Post linking Poilievre, Winnipeg shootings 'inappropriate,' says Liberal House leader

Post linking Poilievre, Winnipeg shootings 'inappropriate,' says Liberal House leader
Government House leader Karina Gould says it was inappropriate for one of her Liberal caucus colleagues to ask whether there is a link between Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and a fatal shooting in Manitoba. But Metro Vancouver Liberal MP Ken Hardie told The Canadian Press that he stands by his social media post and is not sorry he made it.

Post linking Poilievre, Winnipeg shootings 'inappropriate,' says Liberal House leader

Sisters among four dead after Winnipeg shooting; man in critical condition

Sisters among four dead after Winnipeg shooting; man in critical condition
Two First Nations sisters are among four people who died in a shooting over the weekend in downtown Winnipeg. Officers were called shortly after 4 a.m. Sunday to a home where they found five people wounded. A man and woman were pronounced dead at the scene, and another man and woman died later in hospital. A 55-year-old man remains in hospital in critical condition. 

Sisters among four dead after Winnipeg shooting; man in critical condition

Enhanced security coming to Vancouver City Hall

Enhanced security coming to Vancouver City Hall
Members of the public attending council meetings and other public events at Vancouver City Hall will now go through an enhanced security screening process. The city says in a statement that the change is responding to the evolving security environment and following in the footsteps of other Canadian cities that have adopted similar security measures.

Enhanced security coming to Vancouver City Hall

South Surrey shooting, 1 injured

South Surrey shooting, 1 injured
One person was injured in a shooting in South Surrey this morning. Surrey R-C-M-P say officers responded to multiple reports of shots fired in a residential neighbourhood, and at first they couldn't find the victim.   

South Surrey shooting, 1 injured

Fatal hit and run in Surrey

Fatal hit and run in Surrey
Police in Surrey are investigating a fatal crash where one of the drivers fled the scene. Mounties say a white Ford Mustang was travelling southbound when it collided with a black Toyota Corolla at an intersection causing significant damage to both vehicles.

Fatal hit and run in Surrey