Canadians in Israel and Palestine
Authorities continue to monitor the situation.
On the second day after Hamas militants invaded Israel, Canadian authorities continue to monitor the situation closely. Yesterday, all major officials condemned the military aggression and expressed support for Israel. In addition, advisories were issued to Canadian citizens and residents caught up in the conflict.
Today, the number of Canadians currently in close proximity to the war zone has been counted. According to Global Relations, there are currently 1,419 Canadians registered in the state of Israel and 492 in the Palestinian territories.
Ashkelon remains one of the most dangerous places for civilians in southern Israel. Before dawn on Sunday, militants fired several more rockets from Gaza, hitting a hospital in the coastal city. On October 8, Hezbollah joined the shelling of Israel and troops are pulling up to the border with Lebanon.
According to the latest figures, the number of casualties in Israel has already exceeded 500 and the number of wounded 2,000. There are missing persons, and the Palestinian side is still only promising to report on those taken prisoner. Preliminarily we are talking about at least a hundred people. Among the killed and missing are citizens of Britain, France, Ukraine and Germany. The United States is verifying information about American casualties.
Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs announced today that Air Canada will temporarily suspend flights between Tel Aviv Airport and Canadian international airports in Toronto and Montreal. All Canadian Embassy staff in Tel Aviv, as well as Canadian staff in Ramallah in the West Bank, are "safe and accounted for".
