Close X
Thursday, September 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

Audit of BC Timber Sales program finds issues with road and bridge maintenance

Audit of BC Timber Sales program finds issues with road and bridge maintenance
The Forest Practices Board says an audit of the BC Timber Sales program and timber sales license holders in the Boundary region found "significant issues" with road and bridge maintenance. It says the board conducted a "full scope compliance audit" of all activities between June 2022 and June 2023 in the Kootenay Business Area in south-central B.C. along Highway 3.

Audit of BC Timber Sales program finds issues with road and bridge maintenance

B.C. to see a return to seasonable temperatures, but wildfire risk remains

B.C. to see a return to seasonable temperatures, but wildfire risk remains
The director of provincial operations for the BC Wildfire Service says the province has seen about 10,000 lightning strikes over the last seven days, primarily in the Kamloops Fire Centre and Southeast Fire Centres. Cliff Chapman says because B.C. had a hot and dry July, those lightning strikes have the ability and the fuel to start new fires.

B.C. to see a return to seasonable temperatures, but wildfire risk remains

Highway 1 shuts down in Chilliwack after fatal collision

Highway 1 shuts down in Chilliwack after fatal collision
On Tuesday at approximately 2:45 pm, BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) and Chilliwack RCMP responded to a multi-vehicle incident on Highway 1 near Yale Road West in Chilliwack. The highway has been shut down eastbound and currently has a single lane open westbound.

Highway 1 shuts down in Chilliwack after fatal collision

Man arrested in Airbnb break and enter

Man arrested in Airbnb break and enter
Mounties in North Vancouver say they have arrested a man for the breaking and entering of an Airbnb last month. They say a family from the United States had been unloading their car at the property and had left the rear door of the home open.

Man arrested in Airbnb break and enter

Plane modifications not properly recorded before B.C. crash: Safety board

Plane modifications not properly recorded before B.C. crash: Safety board
The Transportation Safety Board says a plane that crashed last year in Campbell River, B.C., was modified improperly after getting flight permits. The board's report on the September 2023 crash says the plane took off from Campbell River Airport with two pilots aboard who were involved in the development of a prototype aircraft with Sealand Aviation Ltd.

Plane modifications not properly recorded before B.C. crash: Safety board

Four-year-old girl drowns in Chilliwack pond

Four-year-old girl drowns in Chilliwack pond
Mounties in Chilliwack say a four-year-old girl has drowned in a pond at a leisure centre. Police say they received a report of the drowning at the water park of the Chilliwack Landing Leisure Centre Monday night. 

Four-year-old girl drowns in Chilliwack pond