Close X
Wednesday, November 13, 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

Chief says grave search at B.C. residential school brings things 'full circle'

Chief says grave search at B.C. residential school brings things 'full circle'
Chief Robert Michell says relief isn't the right word to describe his reaction as the search begins for unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school he attended in northern British Columbia. Michell is the chief of Stellat'en First Nation some 160 kilometres west of Prince George, B.C., and a survivor of the Lejac Indian Residential School where a geophysical survey is underway to find children missing since the facility closed in 1976.  

Chief says grave search at B.C. residential school brings things 'full circle'

'The whole country is not on fire': Canadian tourism industry struggles as fires rage

'The whole country is not on fire': Canadian tourism industry struggles as fires rage
Canada's tourism industry is trying to put on its Sunday best this week, showcasing itself to more than 500 international travel agents and tour operators at the largest annual tourism convention in Canada. But as Rendez-vous Canada is taking place at the Edmonton Convention Centre, one of the biggest challenges Canada's tourism industry is facing is playing out in technicolour just a few hundred kilometres away: wildfires. 

'The whole country is not on fire': Canadian tourism industry struggles as fires rage

Spy agency CSIS reveals 24 harassment investigations in annual report

Spy agency CSIS reveals 24 harassment investigations in annual report
Canada's spy agency has released its annual public report, revealing that it dealt with 24 harassment investigations last year involving complaints by its staff. But the chief human resources officer for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service says the number of investigations shouldn't be used to criticize the agency, and they instead show more employees are placing "faith and confidence in CSIS’ internal grievance process."

Spy agency CSIS reveals 24 harassment investigations in annual report

Three B.C. school districts to launch fully integrated, daylong child care, says Eby

Three B.C. school districts to launch fully integrated, daylong child care, says Eby
Three school districts in British Columbia will start one-stop child-care programs at local elementary schools this fall. Premier David Eby says offering parents before-and-after-school child care at the same location will save families time and money, create less stress for parents and is an efficient use of school space and resources.

Three B.C. school districts to launch fully integrated, daylong child care, says Eby

Poilievre targets illicit drugs in B.C. hospitals

Poilievre targets illicit drugs in B.C. hospitals
Federal Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre says the Conservatives will put forward legislation that would forbid Ottawa from "ever" granting provinces exemptions to allow illicit drug use in hospitals. Poilievre made the announcement in Vancouver on Tuesday, saying the Conservatives will introduce a private member's bill in Parliament to end the federal health minister's power to grant exemptions that would allow the use of illicit drugs in a hospital setting.

Poilievre targets illicit drugs in B.C. hospitals

OPINION: Time For A Diverse Lieutenant-Governor For BC As The Term Comes To An End For Janet Austin

OPINION: Time For A Diverse Lieutenant-Governor For BC As The Term Comes To An End For Janet Austin
In this Op-Ed Senior Reporter with DESIBUZZCanada, PD Raj explores the dialogue of representation and inclusivity within the political arena as current Lieutenant-Governor Janet Austin's term comes to an end. 

OPINION: Time For A Diverse Lieutenant-Governor For BC As The Term Comes To An End For Janet Austin