Close X
Thursday, September 19, 2024
ADVT 
National

Global Affairs Canada 'aware of reports' of missing Canadian in Gaza Strip

Darpan News Desk IANS, 08 Feb, 2024 12:08 PM
  • Global Affairs Canada 'aware of reports' of missing Canadian in Gaza Strip

Ottawa says it is aware of reports that another Canadian citizen has gone missing in the Gaza Strip.

Global Affairs Canada says it is providing consular assistance to the family but can't share more because of privacy considerations. 

The Associated Press reports that Israeli forces detained two young adult American brothers and their Canadian father in Gaza in an overnight raid.

Relatives of the men say they were taken from their home.

A U.S. Embassy official in Jerusalem reached by telephone from Washington said American officials were aware of the situation and were following up with Israeli authorities.

The embassy official gave no details and ended the call without giving her name, while the Israeli foreign ministry and military had no immediate comment.

Borak Alagha, 18, and Hashem Alagha, 20, two brothers born in the Chicago area, are among fewer than 50 U.S. citizens known to still be trying to leave sealed-off Gaza, as the Israel-Hamas war entered its fifth month.

Cousin Yasmeen Elagha, a law student at Northwestern University, said Israeli forces entered the family home in the community of al-Muwasi, near the southern city of Khan Younis, around 5 a.m. Gaza time Thursday.

The soldiers tied up and blindfolded the women and children in the family, and placed them outside the home, the cousin said.

The two American brothers, their Canadian citizen father, a mentally disabled uncle and two other adult male relatives were taken away by the Israelis, and remain missing, Elagha said.

Men of a neighboring household were also taken away. So were other adult male relatives of another Alagha household, for a total of about 20 detained, the U.S. cousin said.

A family social media account from Gaza also described the detentions.

State Department spokespeople in Washington had no immediate comment on the reported detention of the American brothers.

The brothers would be among three American citizens taken into custody by Israeli forces this week, during the same time Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the region to try to mediate a ceasefire and hostage release deal with ally Israel and regional Arab leaders.

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. Health Minister announces appointment of new seniors advocate

B.C. Health Minister announces appointment of new seniors advocate
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix says the province's new seniors advocate is Dan Levitt, an adjunct professor of gerontology at Simon Fraser University and the head of a non-profit long-term care home.  Levitt says he's "deeply honoured" to be appointed the province's second seniors advocate, and thanked current advocate Isobel Mackenzie, who is retiring in April. 

B.C. Health Minister announces appointment of new seniors advocate

Tackling Cyberbullying Digital Empathy in the Age of AI

Tackling Cyberbullying Digital Empathy in the Age of AI
The rise of social media platforms and online forums has connected people globally, fostering communication and collaboration. However, this interconnectedness has also opened the door to malicious behavior, with cyberbullying emerging as a formidable threat. Unlike traditional forms of bullying, cyberbullying transcends physical boundaries, allowing perpetrators to target individuals relentlessly through the anonymity afforded by the internet.

Tackling Cyberbullying Digital Empathy in the Age of AI

Balancing Acts The Impact of Work Hour Restrictions on International Students

Balancing Acts The Impact of Work Hour Restrictions on International Students
The Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulation stipulates that international students holding a study permit without a work permit are limited to working a maximum of 20 hours per week off-campus during the academic session, while they are permitted to work full-time during breaks between sessions. On-campus work has no hourly restrictions. Violation of this work cap, as outlined by the Government of Canada, may result in severe consequences, including the loss of student status, denial of approval for future study or work permits, or even deportation. 

Balancing Acts The Impact of Work Hour Restrictions on International Students

Building Tomorrow Canada's Immigration Plans Amidst Affordable Housing Realities

Building Tomorrow Canada's Immigration Plans Amidst Affordable Housing Realities
In a bold move to shape its demographic landscape, Canada is gearing up to welcome a significant influx of immigrants, with the government's announced targets aiming to bring in 485,000 new permanent residents in 2024, escalating to 500,000 in 2025, and maintaining that level in 2026. This strategic push is propelled by the twin engines of economic growth and a compassionate response to global humanitarian crises. 

Building Tomorrow Canada's Immigration Plans Amidst Affordable Housing Realities

B.C. to restrict cellphones in schools to protect kids from online harm

B.C. to restrict cellphones in schools to protect kids from online harm
British Columbia is moving to restrict the use of cellphones in schools as part of measures Premier David Eby says will help protect young people from online threats. Eby said the government will also launch a service to remove intimate images from the internet and "pursue predators," as well as introduce legislation to hold social media companies accountable for harms they have caused. 

B.C. to restrict cellphones in schools to protect kids from online harm

Cap on student visas should help take pressure off soaring rents, Macklem says

Cap on student visas should help take pressure off soaring rents, Macklem says
Immigration Minister Marc Miller said at a cabinet retreat in Montreal on Monday that the number of new visas handed out this year will be capped at 364,000, a 35 per cent decrease from the nearly 560,000 issued last year. The number for 2025 will be set after an assessment of the situation later this year.

Cap on student visas should help take pressure off soaring rents, Macklem says