Close X
Sunday, November 10, 2024
ADVT 
National

No Canadians on Rafah crossing list as Israel raids Gaza hospital

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 15 Nov, 2023 10:47 AM
  • No Canadians on Rafah crossing list as Israel raids Gaza hospital

No more Canadians have been approved to leave the Gaza Strip on Wednesday via the Rafah border crossing into Egypt, as hundreds of people connected to Canada continue to wait for help to leave.

A total of 356 Canadians, permanent residents and family members have been able to leave the besieged Palestinian territory so far.

No one connected to Canada had been cleared to leave on Tuesday, and the last group of 10 people made it across on Monday. 

Global Affairs Canada said in a statement to media late Tuesday afternoon that the Canadian government is in touch with 390 people who are still in Gaza.

People who cross over are allowed to stay in Egypt for a maximum of three days, and Canadian officials are waiting on the Egyptian side of the border to help with travel, accommodation, food and basic necessities. 

Global Affairs said the Canadian government is helping with onward travel at travellers' own expense, and it is connecting people with organizations who may be able to provide financial help. 

"Canada does not determine when or how many persons can cross each day. As the situation is quite fluid and unpredictable, Canadians should be prepared for significant delays and unexpected closures at the Rafah border," the department said. 

"Canada continues to engage all relevant parties to ensure that Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and their eligible family members presently in Gaza can exit safely and promptly. We continue to communicate directly with Canadians, asking them to have their travel documents at hand and be ready to travel on short notice."

Israel declared war against Hamas after its militants killed 1,200 people on Oct. 7, including hundreds of civilians, and took about 240 people hostage.

Health officials in the Hamas-controlled territory say weeks of retaliatory airstrikes on the besieged Gaza Strip have now killed more than 11,200 people.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged on Tuesday that Israel must use "maximum restraint" to protect civilian life in the brutal war it is waging on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

"I have been clear that the price of justice cannot be the continued suffering of all Palestinian civilians. Even wars have rules," Trudeau said at an event in Vancouver.

He said the violence urgently needs to stop, "so that Palestinians can get access to life-saving medical services, food, fuel and water, so that all hostages can be released, so that all Canadians and other nationals can leave Gaza."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuked Trudeau on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying "while Israel is doing everything to keep civilians out of harm's way, Hamas is doing everything to keep them in harm's way."

Israel accuses Hamas of using hospitals as cover for its fighters, alleging that Hamas has set up its main command centre in and beneath Shifa hospital, without providing visual evidence. Both Hamas and Hospital staff deny the Israeli allegations.

Israel has refused to allow fuel shipments into Gaza since Hamas's cross-border attack on Oct. 7. Israel says Hamas will divert any fuel shipments for military use.

Palestinians trapped in Gaza are struggling to survive without electricity or running water and are rationing food as Israel's siege of the territory extends into its second month.

The Canadian government has faced increased pressure domestically from the National Council of Canadian Muslims, refugee settlement agencies, opposition members and municipal politicians to call for a ceasefire, in a bid to safely evacuate civilians and deliver humanitarian aid.

Trudeau has instead called for "a sustained humanitarian pause" in the bombardments.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. first province to sign individual health deal with feds, worth $1.2 billion

B.C. first province to sign individual health deal with feds, worth $1.2 billion
British Columbia is the first province to sign a tailored funding agreement with the federal government as part of the $196-billion health accord the prime minister offered provinces earlier this year. The deal will see Ottawa shift $1.2 billion to B.C. over three years.

B.C. first province to sign individual health deal with feds, worth $1.2 billion

Vancouver man, Ben Mizrachi, killed by Hamas in Israel: school head

Vancouver man, Ben Mizrachi, killed by Hamas in Israel: school head
A 22-year-old Vancouver man has been killed in southern Israel after Hamas militants launched a series of deadly attacks on Saturday.  The head of the King David High School in Vancouver confirmed in a Facebook post that former student Ben Mizrachi was gunned down while attending a music festival in southern Israel. 

Vancouver man, Ben Mizrachi, killed by Hamas in Israel: school head

Flu, COVID immunization campaign kicks off in B.C. as vaccines arrive at pharmacies

Flu, COVID immunization campaign kicks off in B.C. as vaccines arrive at pharmacies
British Columbia has launched its immunization campaign for this year's respiratory illness season, with influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations now available in pharmacies across the province. The immunization plan was announced late last month as B.C. Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry reintroduced mask mandates in the province's health-care settings with respiratory illnesses trending upward.

Flu, COVID immunization campaign kicks off in B.C. as vaccines arrive at pharmacies

North Vancouver RCMP called to amateur film set featuring actors with replica guns

North Vancouver RCMP called to amateur film set featuring actors with replica guns
Police in North Vancouver say they were called to the set of a film shoot over the weekend after receiving a report of a group of men in body armour carrying rifles. North Vancouver RCMP say they were called to an underground parking lot on Marine Drive on Saturday evening.   

North Vancouver RCMP called to amateur film set featuring actors with replica guns

Amidst inflation which mortgage to chose?

Amidst inflation which mortgage to chose?
It is a conundrum that has faced countless homebuyer in recent years -- choosing a fixed- or variable-rate mortgage. That question has taken on even more significance following the Bank of Canada's recent run on rate hikes.

Amidst inflation which mortgage to chose?

Two 14-year-old boys dead following single-vehicle crash in Alberta

Two 14-year-old boys dead following single-vehicle crash in Alberta
RCMP in Alberta say two 14-year-old boys have died in a single-vehicle crash. Police say the crash happened Friday just southwest of Hinton. RCMP Const. Kelsey Davidge says there were three youths — all under 18 — in the vehicle at the time of the crash.

Two 14-year-old boys dead following single-vehicle crash in Alberta