The Canadian government announced on Wednesday its decision to evacuate the children and guardians of its diplomats from Israel, citing concerns over a potential escalation of conflict in the Middle East.
Tensions between Israel, Iran, and Hezbollah have heightened fears of a broader regional conflict. This comes in the wake of Israel’s offensive in Gaza, which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and a severe humanitarian crisis.
The risk of a wider war increased after the recent assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut, which have prompted threats of retaliation against Israel.
Global Affairs Canada confirmed the temporary relocation of diplomats’ children and their guardians to a safe third country. The agency clarified that diplomats stationed in Ramallah, the West Bank, and Beirut do not have dependents residing with them.
On Saturday, Canada issued a warning to its citizens to avoid all travel to Israel due to the volatile security situation. The advisory also strongly discourages travel to Gaza and the West Bank.
Despite these precautions, the Canadian embassies in Tel Aviv and Beirut, as well as the representative office of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, remain fully operational and continue to offer essential services to Canadians.
The latest surge in violence within the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict began on October 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, resulting in 1,200 deaths and the capture of approximately 250 hostages, according to Israeli sources.
In response, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has reportedly killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, displacing nearly the entire population of 2.3 million. These actions have led to accusations of genocide, which Israel has denied.
