Canadians make Rafah crossing out of Gaza
CTV
The first group of Canadians has left Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the federal government announced Tuesday, vowing work continues to get all citizens out of the region where a dire humanitarian crisis continues to unfold.
The first group of Canadians has left Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the federal government announced Tuesday, vowing work continues to get all citizens out of the region where a dire humanitarian crisis continues to unfold.
In a social media post, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said a team of officials "met them on the Egyptian side of the border, providing them with support and care," upon crossing.
In Ottawa, International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen confirmed the news, saying the Canadians were "safe and sound."
Those evacuated will be heading to Cairo, and then on to Canada. While in Cairo, Canada is providing accommodation, food and basic necessities, according to the government.
Without offering specifics on the number of Canadians who were able to leave, or how many days it might take to see all Canadians evacuated, Hussen said he is hopeful this first group will "build the momentum to get the rest of them out."
"We're very, very happy about that. It's a result of weeks and weeks of work in the region with our allies. And we will continue to work hard to get the rest of the Canadians who are stranded in Gaza, out," he said.
This comes after progress to get Canadians through the Rafah border crossing stalled over the weekend as the border was closed on Nov. 4 and 5, and just reopened late Monday.
