"We will help you": Canada to begin evacuations in Israel this week
The federal government says it will assist Canadians departing from Tel Aviv, Israel, in the “coming days by the end of the week.”
In a statement posted on X Tuesday night, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly confirmed that the feds are “planning to begin the assisted departure of Canadians from Tel Aviv” via a Canadian Armed Forces aircraft.
In a press conference in Ottawa on Wednesday morning, Canada’s chief of the defence staff, General Wayne Eyre, confirmed that the military is providing two CC-150 Airbuses.
He says the first one will land in Athens, Greece, in the next several hours, and Canadians will be shuttled from Ben Gurion Airport in Israel to Athens.
During the press conference, Joly added that it’s rare for the federal government to do assisted departures when there are still commercial flights running.
“But as people were seeing their flights going to Canada cancelled or indefinitely delayed, we had to step up and take a decision to do so,” she said.
My message to Canadians in Israel, West Bank and Gaza: pic.twitter.com/lbUxpVr66i
— Mélanie Joly (@melaniejoly) October 10, 2023
Joly said the flights will be available to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, their spouses, and their children. This includes dual nationals.
The announcement comes after Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the country is at war on Saturday after militant Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip fired thousands of rockets and Hamas fighters infiltrated the border in several locations. Israel said the attack killed at least 900 and left over 2,500 people injured, according to CBS News.
Over the weekend, several major international airlines suspended flight operations to and from Tel Aviv, including Air Canada.
Canadians in Israel and their families voiced that the federal government was not helping its citizens abroad during great uncertainty and violence.
Posts from the Embassy of Israel in Canada added to the confusion.
Before the attack, the embassy said it would be closed on October 9, but it edited its Facebook post at 2:30 am ET on Monday to say it’s open. It also posted that information in the early hours of Monday on X.
Embassy of Canada to Israel/Facebook
According to the BBC, an estimated 900 people have been killed in Gaza since Saturday following retaliation from Israel. The death toll comes amid ongoing airstrikes in that region. At least 4,500 have been injured.
In her statement, Joly acknowledged that the situation “has been difficult.”
“Many of you want to return home to your family and have no way to do it safely,” she said. “We will help you.”
Joly said the federal government will have more details to share about the evacuation plan on Wednesday.
In the meantime, Canadians should register with Global Affairs Canada at (+1) 613-996-8885 or via email here. Joly says the number of flights available will be based on the number of registered Canadians.
If Canadians decide to stay in Israel beyond this week, there may not be any more government flights available to them, according to the minister.
“At one point, government flights will be over and Canadians will have then to take the decisions on what will happen next,” she said.
“We’re offering this option and we’re looking at the option through Jordan as well. But these will be the options that will be available in the next days, and then Canadians will take their decision.”
A Canadian man from BC and one from Montreal were confirmed to have been killed by attacks from Hamas militants in Israel.
On Sunday, Global Affairs Canada said it was aware of a Canadian who died and two others who are missing. Daily Hive has contacted the agency for an update on the death toll in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
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