Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly confirmed Saturday that four Canadians have been killed and three are still missing as the war between Israel and Hamas continues. The four Canadians were all killed following Hamas’ attacks on Israel last weekend.
The family of 22-year-old Shir Georgy confirmed her death Saturday after she went missing following Hamas’ attack on a music festival exactly a week ago.
Joly spoke to reporters virtually from Amman, Jordan on the margins of her visit to the region to “understand what was the human impact of the worst terrorist attacks that Israel went through in 50 years.”
She said she is currently concentrating her efforts on finding safe passage for Canadians out of Israel and Gaza.
There had been plans for Canadians and their loved ones to evacuate Gaza on Saturday through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, but Joly said “there was violence” in the area and the operation was cancelled.
She said she is still working to help Canadians cross from Gaza into Egypt, while also working with the Palestinian Authority and Jordan so other Canadians can evacuate from the West Bank by bus, which she hopes can start as of Tuesday.
She reiterated the Canadian government’s condemnation of Hamas’ attacks on Israel last Saturday, and the government’s position that Israel “has the right to defend itself.” She also called for the protection of civilians and the release of hostages.
“Israeli civilians are as important as Palestinian civilians, as well, at all times international humanitarian law must be respected,” Joly said.
“I would like to say … we’re extremely concerned about the situation in Gaza,” she added. “Gaza is one of the worst places on Earth to be right now.”
Joly said diplomatic conversations are still underway to put in place a humanitarian corridor to get food and other supplies to civilians in Gaza.
Joly said the federal government has updated its travel advisory for Lebanon in response to the “volatile” situation there, and it’s advising people specifically in the southern parts of the country to avoid all non-essential travel.
