Close X
Sunday, December 1, 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

Workers at Hudson's Bay store in Kamloops on strike

Workers at Hudson's Bay store in Kamloops on strike
Workers at the Hudson’s Bay store at Aberdeen Mall in Kamloops, B.C., have walked off the job after their union and the company were unable to reach a wage agreement. United Steelworkers union Local 1-417, which represents the workers, says talks have been ongoing since July without success. 

Workers at Hudson's Bay store in Kamloops on strike

RCMP in Mission seek witnesses to shooting at Real Canadian Superstore

RCMP in Mission seek witnesses to shooting at Real Canadian Superstore
Police say the suspect vehicle fled the scene and was found burned in Surrey, B.C., later that same night. No one has yet been arrested in connection to the shooting. RCMP is asking anyone who saw a grey Jaguar SUV in the area on Wednesday or who may have witnessed the shooting to contact police.

RCMP in Mission seek witnesses to shooting at Real Canadian Superstore

Two people arrested in B.C. after dead infant brought to hospital

Two people arrested in B.C. after dead infant brought to hospital
Mounties in Williams Lake, B.C., say two people were arrested after a 32-year-old man brought a dead infant to a hospital. Police say a second injured child was later found and brought to the hospital for a medical assessment.  

Two people arrested in B.C. after dead infant brought to hospital

B.C. announces new three-year action plan to address gender-based violence

B.C. announces new three-year action plan to address gender-based violence
British Columbia has announced a new three-year action plan that it says aims to end stigma around gender-based violence and ensure access to supports. The plan includes building more housing for women and children leaving violence, expanding cell service to make travel safer, and adding 75 new sexual assault support programs -- 22 of which are specifically for Indigenous women.  

B.C. announces new three-year action plan to address gender-based violence

Calgary mayor says she won't attend Hanukkah ceremony because it's too political

Calgary mayor says she won't attend Hanukkah ceremony because it's too political
The mayor of Alberta's largest city says she won't attend the annual menorah lighting ceremony to mark the beginning of Hanukkah because she believes it's too political, but her decision led to a backlash from the Jewish community and Conservative politicians. Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek posted a statement on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, saying Thursday's ceremony at city hall has been repositioned as an event to support Israel.

Calgary mayor says she won't attend Hanukkah ceremony because it's too political

Oil, gas emissions to be cut more than one-third by 2030 but offset credits allowed

Oil, gas emissions to be cut more than one-third by 2030 but offset credits allowed
The oil and gas industry will have to cut emissions by more than one-third within seven years or buy offset credits under a new federal policy. A cap on emisisons from the fossil fuel sector had been promised by the Liberals since the 2021 election, but the announcement Thursday spelled out exactly how much the government will ask the industry to cut.

Oil, gas emissions to be cut more than one-third by 2030 but offset credits allowed