Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called a meeting of the federal government’s Incident Response Group on Sunday to provide an update on Hamas attacks on Israel, which have already resulted in the deaths of more than 1,300 people.
Made up of key ministers and senior officials, the Incident Response Group meets only in times of “national crisis” or to discuss events with major implications for Canada.
At the end of the meeting, the Prime Minister’s Office published a report in which it indicated that Mr. Trudeau took advantage of the discussion to condemn “unequivocally the Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel and [exprimer] Canada’s full support for Israel’s right to defend itself.
“The Prime Minister and the ministers looked at the latest developments, their concern about the loss of life among the civilian population and Canada’s close collaboration with its partners and allies in the international community,” added the cabinet of the Prime Minister.
Recently, the Incident Response Group has also been convened for events such as the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the blockades associated with the “freedom convoy” and the short-lived rebellion that occurred in July in Russia.
As of Monday morning, the most recent toll showed more than 1,300 dead and thousands injured in connection with the conflict in Israel, which began on Saturday when Hamas launched its unprecedented incursion out of Gaza.
According to information obtained from Global Affairs Canada, a Canadian was among those killed during the Hamas assault, while two others were missing.
“Canadian government representatives in Israel are in contact with civil authorities to confirm and gather additional information,” the federal ministry said in a press release published on Sunday.
Also on Sunday, Mr. Trudeau spoke with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu. The two heads of government agreed “to remain in close contact as the situation evolves”.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, also increased conversations with her counterparts in the region this weekend in order to gather more information on the situation on the ground.
Global Affairs Canada urged Canadians traveling in the region to exercise “great caution” in Israel and avoid travel to the Gaza Strip and the country’s borders with Syria, Egypt and Lebanon.
The ministry warned that the Canadian government’s ability to provide consular services to Canadians in the Gaza Strip is “limited” and that in the event of an expulsion, local authorities are not obliged to inform the Canadian embassy in Tel Aviv nor the Canadian liaison office in Ramallah.