Close X
Wednesday, September 25, 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

Housing market remains pricey

Housing market remains pricey
The B-C Real Estate Association says residential property prices in the province have risen despite a drop in sales this year, owing to low inventory on the market. The B-C-R-E-A says in its third quarter forecast that home sales in the province through Multiple Listing Service are expected to fall by 2.8 per cent this year to just over 78-thousand units.

Housing market remains pricey

B.C. on pace for deadliest year in drug crisis as July brings another 198 deaths

B.C. on pace for deadliest year in drug crisis as July brings another 198 deaths
British Columbia is on pace for the deadliest year in its unregulated toxic-drug crisis, with the BC Coroners Service saying another 198 deaths were reported in July. It says there have been at least 1,455 deaths in the first seven months of 2023, the most ever recorded.  

B.C. on pace for deadliest year in drug crisis as July brings another 198 deaths

Man dies in 'gang-related' shooting in Mission

Man dies in 'gang-related' shooting in Mission
Homicide investigators say the victim of what they suspect was a targeted gang shooting in Mission, B.C., has died of his injuries. The Independent Homicide Investigation Team says the 45-year-old man was found wounded late Monday at Mission's Laminman Avenue after reports of gunfire.

Man dies in 'gang-related' shooting in Mission

Rain relief in sight for B.C. south and Interior as northeast swelters

Rain relief in sight for B.C. south and Interior as northeast swelters
Large portions of northeastern British Columbia continue to swelter a day after some areas hit daily record temperatures, as the forecast for rain in the south and Interior brought the promise of relief for some wildfire zones.

Rain relief in sight for B.C. south and Interior as northeast swelters

3500 rental homes to be built: BC Gov

3500 rental homes to be built: BC Gov
The B-C government is seeking proposals to create new affordable rental homes through its Community Housing Fund. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon says the newest round of funding will create approximately 35-hundred homes.

3500 rental homes to be built: BC Gov

Feds mull stopgap plan for formula shortage before overhauling approval process: docs

Feds mull stopgap plan for formula shortage before overhauling approval process: docs
Many parents still struggle to find the right formula for their babies at a reasonable price after last year's temporary shutdown of U.S. based manufacturing plant caused a major shortage of shipments to Canada. 

Feds mull stopgap plan for formula shortage before overhauling approval process: docs