Canada sends children of its diplomats to Israel to a safer country

Photo: The Canadian Press Adrian Wyld A Canadian flag

Laura Osman – The Canadian Press in Ottawa

Published at 6:40 a.m.

• Canada

The Canadian government has decided to remove the children of its diplomats and their guardians from Israel, amid fears of a wider war in the Middle East.

Global Affairs Canada says it has approved the temporary relocation of the children and their guardians to a safe third country.

Embassy staff are expected to remain in Israel.

“The Embassy of Canada to Israel in Tel Aviv, the Embassy of Canada to Lebanon in Beirut and the Representative Office of Canada to the Palestinian Authority all remain fully operational and continue to provide essential services to Canadians, including consular services,” the department said in a statement Wednesday evening.

Diplomats stationed in Ramallah, West Bank, and Beirut, Lebanon, do not have dependents living with them.

“Staff at our missions in Lebanon and Ramallah remain in place and are regularly briefed on the current situation and the measures taken by Global Affairs Canada,” the department said.

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Tensions in the Middle East have raised fears of all-out war following the assassinations last week of a top Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and Hamas' top political leader in Iran.

On Saturday, the government warned Canadians to avoid all travel to Israel due to the “ongoing regional armed conflict and unpredictable security situation.”

The government is also advising against travel to the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jerusalem and Lebanon.

The current conflict erupted on October 7, after Hamas launched a deadly surprise attack on Israel that killed approximately 1,200 people. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says more than 39,100 Palestinians have been killed since then.

The Gaza Strip has been ravaged by the conflict, which has also been marked by an unprecedented direct Iranian attack on Israel, as well as Israeli attacks on Iran and Lebanon, including on the capital Beirut.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with King Abdullah II of Jordan earlier this week to express his “deep concern” about the potential for further conflict between Israel and Iran, as well as Hezbollah and other Iran-aligned groups.

“The leaders stressed the urgent need to avoid further escalation, which would endanger the lives of civilians in the region,” the Prime Minister’s Office summarized.