Archives Agence France-Presse The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called a meeting of the Emergency Response Group incident of the federal government on Sunday to take stock of the Hamas attacks against Israel, which have already led to the deaths of more than 1,300 people.
Composed of ministers and senior officials, the Group Incident Response Team meets only in times of “national crisis” or to discuss events with major implications for Canada.
At the end of the meeting, the Prime Minister's Office released a report in which it indicated that Mr. Trudeau used the discussion to condemn “unequivocally Hamas' terrorist attacks against Israel and [express] the full support of Canada to Israel's right to defend itself.”
“The Prime Minister and the ministers discussed the latest developments, their concern about the loss of life among the civilian population and Canada's close collaboration with its partners and allies in the international community,” added the office of the Prime Minister.
Recently, the Incident Response Group has also been convened for events such as the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, blockades associated with the “freedom convoy” and the short-lived July rebellion in Russia.
As of Monday morning, the most recent toll showed more than 1,300 dead and thousands injured in connection with the conflict in Israel, which began on Saturday when Hamas launched its unprecedented incursion out of Gaza.
According to information obtained from Global Affairs Canada, a Canadian was among those killed during the Hamas assault, while two others were missing.
“Representatives of the Canadian government in Israel are in contact with civil authorities to confirm and gather additional information,” the federal ministry emphasized in a press release published on Sunday.
Also on Sunday, Mr. Trudeau spoke met with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu. The two heads of government agreed “to remain in close contact as the situation evolves.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, also increased conversations with her counterparts in the region this end weekdays to gather more information on the situation on the ground.
Global Affairs Canada urged Canadians traveling in the region to exercise “great caution” in Israel and avoid all travel to the Gaza Strip and the country's borders with Syria, Egypt and Lebanon.
The department warned that the Canadian government's ability to provide consular services to Canadians in the Gaza Strip is “limited” and that in the event of an expulsion, local authorities are not obliged to inform the Canadian Embassy in Tel Aviv or the Canadian Liaison Office in Ramallah.