(Ottawa) The federal government has told Canadians stuck in the besieged Gaza Strip that they will likely have to wait until at least Monday to leave the war-torn territory and cross the Rafah border into Egypt. However, even this date remains uncertain.
Dalia Salim received an email from Global Affairs Canada on Saturday evening indicating that evacuations of Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their family members should tentatively begin on Monday.
Mme Salim, who lives in London, Ontario, has been trying to get his father out of Gaza for weeks.
Global Affairs Canada had previously told those affected that they might be able to leave “as early as Sunday,” but the small number of foreigners allowed to use the Rafah border crossing came to a halt on Saturday due to escalating airstrikes. Israel, which continues its reprisals for the deadly Hamas incursion into this country on October 7.
There was talk “that more than 400 Canadian citizens, permanent residents and eligible family members could leave Gaza through the Rafah border crossing in the coming days.”
Mme Salim has been warned that as the border remains closed, her father’s departure from Gaza may be delayed.
A spokesman for the Palestinian Crossings Authority said officials in Gaza did not allow foreign passport holders to leave because Israel was preventing the evacuation of Palestinian patients to Egypt.
Two Canadians were able to flee
Two Canadian citizens reportedly crossed the Rafah border into Egypt thanks to a third party. Global Affairs Canada says it is aware of the situation, but refuses to provide further details for confidentiality reasons.
A list of the names of nearly 450 Canadian nationals and their family members who wish to leave Gaza has been provided “to Canada’s regional partners,” according to government officials.
In its most recent update, Global Affairs Canada claims to be in contact with 516 Canadian nationals and their family members in Gaza, 61 in the West Bank and 51 in Israel.
“We are communicating directly with Canadians asking them to have their travel documents on hand and to be prepared to travel at very short notice. The Egyptian government will allow people entering Egypt from Gaza to stay in the country for a maximum of 72 hours (3 days). Our consular officers will be present on the Egyptian side of the border to facilitate bus transportation to Cairo and assist with the onward journey to Canada,” states the latest press release from Global Affairs Canada.
So far, the deaths of “six Canadian citizens and one person with close ties to Canada” have been confirmed.
There are currently more than 5,755 Canadians registered on the List of Canadians Abroad in Israel, 453 Canadians registered in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and 18,028 in Lebanon.
Furthermore, the Canadian government reiterates a message that could not be clearer for Canadian citizens who are in Israel’s neighboring country, Lebanon: “Get out when you can.”
“Canadians in the affected region are encouraged to register to receive up-to-date information,” reminds Global Affairs Canada.
“Global Affairs Canada has responded to 10,824 requests for information since the start of the conflict on October 7. Most requests relate to departure possibilities and the security situation,” it says in the latest update.