Global Affairs Canada said it was aware of “the death of a Canadian and the disappearance of two additional” Canadian nationals in clashes between armed groups linked to Hamas and Israeli forces.
In its latest update on this conflict, delivered Sunday afternoon, the ministry said that Canadian government officials in Israel were in contact with local authorities to confirm this information and obtain further information.
The identities of these dead and missing Canadian citizens are currently unknown.
There are currently 1,419 Canadians living in Israel and 492 other Canadian citizens in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Global Affairs Canada said it has responded to 429 requests for information since fighting broke out on Saturday.
Most inquiries relate to Canada’s travel advisories for Israel and Gaza, airport and flight status, general security situation, passport and immigration services, and departure options, which we will mention in a press release.
The ministry says all Canadian employees at the Canadian Embassy in Israel, Tel Aviv, as well as Canadian employees in Ramallah are safe and sound.
Embassy closed for Thanksgiving?
Canadians say they are stuck in Israel amid deadly fighting as airlines cancel flights and it proves difficult to reach the Canadian embassy over Thanksgiving weekend.
In the evening, the Canadian government responded and reiterated that the missions in Tel Aviv and Ramallah remained operational throughout the weekend and will continue to do so. Our missions will open on Monday, October 9th unless security conditions permit. “We will assess the security situation daily in coordination with our allies,” the Global Affairs Canada spokesperson said.
Robbie Segall, a 22-year-old intern from Montreal, Israel, says he felt safe in the West Bank village of Efrat, where he is staying with friends for the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, but was frustrated by the lack of care and support from the Canadian government.
Mr. Segall said he was in a synagogue when air raid sirens began sounding, leading to several trips to bomb shelters and the cancellation of services for the holiday.
He said he contacted the emergency number set up for Canadians in Israel but was directed to the Canadian embassy. Mr. Segall said he was told the embassy would be closed for Thanksgiving and requests for travel and emergency information would not be answered until after the long weekend.
Luckily I’m in a place where I feel safer, but if I felt like I really, really needed to get out, I wouldn’t be able to get help from the Canadian government, from the embassy until Tuesday. he explained.
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People react at the site where a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit Tel Aviv, Israel, on Saturday.
Photo: Portal / ITAI RON
Kendall and Marie Fullerton of Toronto were at the Megiddo archaeological site on Saturday as Hamas militants fired thousands of rockets and sent dozens of fighters to infiltrate Israel’s heavily fortified border by air, land and sea.
“Right now the situation is fine, but I think Israel will probably increase some offensive operations and that will probably put pressure on other units in the region,” Kendall Fullerton told The Canadian Press from Tel Aviv, where he was on vacation with members of his family since the end of September.
The Fullerton couple said Tel Aviv was mostly quiet on Sunday, but they saw fighter jets and smoke coming from distant towns. The couple also heard several air raid sirens, which led to stays in their hotel’s bomb shelter since the Hamas invasion.
After their return flight was cancelled, the duo spent Sunday trying to book another flight – to no avail as most airlines continued to cancel their flights. Air Canada announced that it would temporarily cancel its flights to and from Tel Aviv starting Sunday and adjust its plans as developments take place.
Marie Fullerton points out that she tried to contact the Canadian Embassy in Tel Aviv after news of the attack broke but was directed to the emergency number and that she was unable to contact them directly due to the embassy’s opening hours over the long Thanksgiving weekend information could be obtained.
Trudeau-Netanyahu call
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau previously spoke with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mr. Trudeau unequivocally condemned the massive Hamas attack on Israel and expressed his sincere condolences to Prime Minister Netanyahu for the hundreds of human losses, as we read in a statement sent to the media.
Prime Minister Trudeau also expressed concern about the escalation of the conflict and the loss of civilian lives, it said.
For her part, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly stated on X (formerly Twitter) that she had contacted her Israeli and Jordanian counterparts, as well as the head of diplomacy of the Palestinian Authority.
The violence must stop and protecting civilians is the top priority, she said.
For more information on these hostilities, see our live coverage.