Close X
Saturday, September 21, 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

Test water flowing through repaired Calgary pipe, full service days away

Test water flowing through repaired Calgary pipe, full service days away
Water is flowing again in a massive Calgary pipe — test water. Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek says work has started to fill the repaired pipe with water for testing.

Test water flowing through repaired Calgary pipe, full service days away

Trudeau's cabinet all ears to the concerns of Canadians as political fortunes fall

Trudeau's cabinet all ears to the concerns of Canadians as political fortunes fall
Several federal cabinet ministers say they are all ears to what disgruntled voters are saying in the aftermath of a Toronto byelection defeat in what was considered a safe Liberal riding. Although the ministers expressed openness to hearing out Canadians  turned off by the Liberals and Justin Trudeau, none could say how their team plans to address those concerns.

Trudeau's cabinet all ears to the concerns of Canadians as political fortunes fall

Vancouver Police release video showing suspect in synagogue arson

Vancouver Police release video showing suspect in synagogue arson
Police in Vancouver have released video showing a man who is believed to have set fire to the front entrance of a synagogue last month in the hope that someone may recognize the suspect.  The security video shows a man wearing a dark jacket, light ball cap and a medical face mask approaching the front steps of the Schara Tzedeck synagogue on Vancouver's Oak Street on May 30 with a time stamp of 9:41 p.m. 

Vancouver Police release video showing suspect in synagogue arson

101 drownings last year in BC

101 drownings last year in BC
New statistics from the B-C Coroners Service say 101 people accidentally drowned in the province last year, many of them in the summer months.  Acting chief coroner John McNamee says their report looked at a decade of drownings, and May through August were the most fatal months. 

101 drownings last year in BC

Stolen merchandise found in Maple Ridge

Stolen merchandise found in Maple Ridge
Mounties in Surrey say the search of a home in Maple Ridge turned up stolen merchandise with a total estimated value topping 43-thousand dollars. Police say they arrested a woman who was using Facebook Marketplace to advertise and sell the stolen goods, ranging from designer clothing and accessories to sportswear by popular brands.

Stolen merchandise found in Maple Ridge

Green MLA Olsen not running in fall B.C. election, cites mental and physical health

Green MLA Olsen not running in fall B.C. election, cites mental and physical health
One of the two Green Party members in British Columbia's Legislature has announced he will not seek re-election in this fall's provincial vote. Adam Olsen, who represents Saanich North and the Islands, says in a statement that he is stepping down because "it's the responsible and ethical thing" to do when he cannot "commit fully to the job for the next four years."

Green MLA Olsen not running in fall B.C. election, cites mental and physical health