Close X
Friday, November 15, 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. residents urged to conserve water as worsening drought conditions parch province

B.C. residents urged to conserve water as worsening drought conditions parch province
Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Minister Bowinn Ma called on residents, farmers, businesspeople and industrial plant operators to take urgent steps to cut water use. 

B.C. residents urged to conserve water as worsening drought conditions parch province

Facebook rental scams: Surrey RCMP

Facebook rental scams: Surrey RCMP
Mounties say scammers advertise a property and explain that a deposit is required to secure the property due to high demand. Communication with the renter usually ends once an e-transfer of funds is sent and without the rental property being seen.

Facebook rental scams: Surrey RCMP

Vehicle crashes into Surrey home

Vehicle crashes into Surrey home
 The driver, a 21-year-old man, was arrested for Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle and Flight from Police. He was treated on scene for minor injuries and released to appear in court at a later date.  Speed and dangerous driving were contributing factors in the collision. 

Vehicle crashes into Surrey home

Missing person to locate Robanpreet Singh

Missing person to locate Robanpreet Singh
Robanpreet was last seen on July 9, 2023 at his residence in Surrey. Police and family are concerned for Robanpreet’s health and well-being as it is out of character for Robanpreet to be out of contact for this long. If you see Robanpreet, keep him in sight and call police.

Missing person to locate Robanpreet Singh

B.C. expected to request Ottawa's help with worsening wildfires: minister

B.C. expected to request Ottawa's help with worsening wildfires: minister
Bill Blair tells The Canadian Press the government operations centre has been in discussions with the province for the last several days, and Ottawa is ready to deploy needed resources as the formal request for help is expected Thursday.

B.C. expected to request Ottawa's help with worsening wildfires: minister

BC man gets 9 years for shooting

BC man gets 9 years for shooting
A B-C man has been sentenced to nine years in prison for fatally shooting a woman in Surrey two years ago, and for an unrelated robbery two months earlier. The 26-year-old pleaded guilty to manslaughter for killing a 20-year-old sex worker in May 2021, and to a robbery and a weapons charge for holding up a poker game in Burnaby in March that same year.

BC man gets 9 years for shooting