Canadians have been let out of Gaza - but not all of them
The Rafah checkpoint has reopened.
Foreign Minister Melanie Joly confirmed that 234 people affiliated with Canada were able to leave the Gaza Strip on Sunday after problems at the crossing on Friday. At the same time, 266 people were on Friday's exit list. That means 32 Canadians eligible to leave Gaza are still in the conflict territory.
"We are relieved that 234 Canadians and their families were able to leave Gaza today. I want to thank our diplomats in the region for their hard work and dedication. Canada continues to call for humanitarian pauses to allow for humanitarian aid to get to the people of Gaza."
The list of foreign nationals who can travel to Egypt from Gaza is published by the Palestinian authorities and coordinated with the Egyptian and Israeli governments.
On the morning of Nov. 10, 266 Canadian citizens, residents and their families got on the list. However, the checkpoint was closed in the afternoon and did not reopen until Sunday.
The Canadian Embassy in Egypt is assisting those who have crossed the border with transportation to Cairo, as well as food and lodging until they make travel plans. The Egyptian government allows foreigners crossing the border through the Rafah to remain in the country for up to 72 hours.
The latest count of Canadians who made it out of Gaza comes in addition to the 107 people who crossed the border last week on Tuesday and Thursday.
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