The number of Canadians killed amidst the relentless Israel-Hamas conflict has now risen to five, the federal government announced on Sunday. The government is urging Canadians residing in Lebanon to contemplate departure in light of the escalating conflict.
The jump in the number of casualties, from four the previous day, was confirmed by the Canadian government. In addition, authorities are still attempting to trace three other missing Canadian citizens.
The devastating news was delivered by Julie Sunday, Global Affairs Canada’s assistant deputy minister for consular security and emergency management, during a technical briefing in Ottawa. At the same time, an impassioned protest concerning the crisis was taking place on Parliament Hill.
The most recent confirmed victim was previously enlisted in the government’s count of missing Canadians.
“It has always been a possibility that missing persons would be confirmed deceased. This is an extremely tragic outcome,” Sunday expressed sorrowfully, “Our deepest sympathies lie with the families affected in all these cases.”
The contentious conflict began with an attack by Hamas militants on Israel, leading to ransom demands, hostage situations, and explosive retaliatory strikes in Gaza. Countless citizens have died, been injured, or displaced due to the conflict.
The Canadian authorities have dispatched a team of experts to Israel to aid with hostage negotiations. The team, whose current location is in Tel Aviv, is set on securing safety for the remaining missing Canadian citizens.
Expressing the reality of the situation, Sunday said, “There’s a broad group of missing persons in Israel right now, and so there are many partners on the ground. The collaborative efforts have proven beneficial for obtaining real-time information, which is crucial for trying to resolve these cases.”
Anticipated evacuation flights continue as of Sunday night, with roughly 1,000 Canadians and their families transported from Israel to Athens via a Canadian Armed Forces military airlift operation. Global Affairs Canada has handled over 800 inquiries in the last 24 hours, and approximately 4,200 inquiries since the conflict onset.
There are currently more than 6,800 Canadians registered in Israel, and over 450 in the West Bank and Gaza. Government assistance is underway for more than 3,300 Canadians, permanent residents and their families, Sunday reported.
An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ground offensive in Gaza appears imminent, prompting civilians to evacuate the region. Approximately 300 Canadian citizens and their kin are still seeking assistance to depart from Gaza, following failed exits through Egypt.
“In Lebanon, the situation is volatile, and if you don’t need to be there, you should consider leaving, while commercial means are still available,” Sunday warned, considering recent reports of the conflict potentially bleeding into Lebanon’s borders.
The government also sounded a cautionary note to Canadians in Jordan about potential large-scale protests.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, during her regional visit, has made contact with the foreign ministers of Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Qatar, as well as the commissioner general for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
