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Julie: The Canadian army will evacuate Canadians from Tel Aviv to Athens...

Julie: The Canadian army will evacuate Canadians from Tel Aviv to Athens...

By Omayma othmani

Published: October 12, 2023

Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly provided more details on Wednesday about her government's plan to repatriate Canadian citizens stranded in Israel and the Palestinian territories, particularly in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Joly confirmed that planes from the Canadian Armed Forces will be sent to Tel Aviv to transport Canadian citizens wishing to leave Israel to Athens. She added that an Air Canada flight will then take them to Canada, affirming that these flights will begin in the coming days, by the end of the week.

She also reminded that Air Canada decided on Sunday to temporarily suspend its flights to Tel Aviv and will not resume them until the situation stabilizes.

Canadian Chief of Defence Staff General Wayne Eyre stated that a Canadian military plane is scheduled to arrive in Tel Aviv today.

Joly also confirmed, having once again urged all Canadians in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza to register with Global Affairs Canada, that these flights will be available to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents along with their spouses and children.

The minister stated that the federal government is working on other options for those who cannot access Tel Aviv Airport.

In the same context, a military source said at a press conference that the Canadian Armed Forces is prepared to conduct about three flights daily, as their planes can carry approximately 150 passengers at a time. According to him, the first departure is expected on Thursday evening, or Friday at the latest.

It was clarified that the flight to Athens will only be free of charge. The cost of the flight to Canada has not yet been determined, nor the city where the country will land, but it will be in Toronto or Montreal.

Ms. Joly also noted that three Canadians were killed in the bloody attack launched by Hamas on Israel last Saturday. Israeli authorities have confirmed two of these fatalities, and Ottawa states that it is still awaiting confirmation of the third death. Additionally, three Canadians are missing.

According to the latest data released by Global Affairs Canada, there are 4,249 Canadians registered in Israel and 476 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Among this number, nearly 1,000 Canadians have requested consular assistance, including 750 in Israel, 180 in the West Bank, and 70 in Gaza. A source from Global Affairs Canada stated, "These numbers are constantly changing."

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