Global Affairs Canada said Friday, in an email sent to hundreds of Canadian nationals in the Gaza Strip, that it could begin their evacuation as early as Sunday.
In the email, of which CTV News obtained a copy, the government invites those concerned to keep their travel documents in their possession and to be ready to leave the Palestinian enclave at possibly very short notice.
“More than 400 Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their family members will be able to leave Gaza through the Rafah border crossing in the coming days, and perhaps even as early as Sunday,” reads the email, which specifies that the exact time of the evacuation would be communicated later.
As the situation at the border post is unpredictable, Ottawa encourages its nationals to exercise caution and assess the risks of going there. Global Affairs Canada also recalled that Canada was not in a position to determine who was authorized to transit through the border crossing, but affirmed that anyone crossing would be authorized to stay in Egypt for 72 hours.
“Our consular officers will be present on the Egyptian side of the border to facilitate your transportation to Cairo and help you continue your journey to Canada at your own expense,” the email also read, as reported by CTV News.
The day before, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly had affirmed, in light of an interview with her Israeli counterpart, that “Canadians and their families [allaient] be able to leave Gaza in the coming days.” However, she did not give a more precise date.
Dalia Salim, a London, Ont., resident whose 66-year-old father is trapped in the Palestinian enclave, said the email brought her some relief.
“This is the first time we have had a confirmed date,” she said. “It says “as soon as possible [dimanche]”, so I take it with a grain of salt, and I will wait for an email on Saturday evening to confirm,” she nevertheless qualified.
And until then, the concern remains for Mme Salim: “My father lives on wasteland, very exposed to bombing. How am I supposed to until Sunday to make sure he’s okay? »
With information from the Associated Press