(Ottawa) Canadians were still excluded from the list of foreign citizens allowed to leave the Gaza Strip on Friday, as Canada’s foreign minister reaffirmed that Canadian citizens and their families will be able to leave the territory in the coming days.
Posted at 9:06 am
Minister Joly posted an update on X on Thursday evening, saying she had discussed the matter with her Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen. She also wrote that she had received confirmation of Egypt’s cooperation.
“ [Affaires mondiales Canada] will provide Canadians with the latest information,” she added.
While the flow of foreign nationals leaving Gaza through the Rafah border crossing remains slow since Wednesday, Global Affairs Canada officials say they are working around the clock to evacuate Canadians from the war zone. They are urging Canadians to get their documents and “get ready to leave as soon as we learn they can cross the border.”
However, as of early Friday morning Eastern Time, Canada had not yet been added to the official list of “foreign passports” authorized for travel through the Rafah border crossing, which allows entry into Egypt.
The first Hamas attack on October 7 killed more than 1,400 people in Israel, most of them civilians. In addition, around 240 hostages were taken from Israel to Gaza by the militant group.
According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, more than 9,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of the Israeli military response.