Relatives of the Canadian-Palestinian journalist Mansour Shouman, who is preparing a documentary film about humanitarian aid for the victims of the raging war in the Gaza Strip, have lost all contact with him, according to Zahira Sommer, a member of his team.

Shouman has been a Canadian citizen since 2006 and worked as a consultant in the oil and gas sector in Calgary, the largest city in the province of Alberta in western Canada. He returned last year with his wife and their five children to the Gaza Strip.

In November, after the start of the large-scale Israeli ground military offensive on the Gaza Strip, Shouman’s wife and their children were able to leave the Palestinian territory for the United Arab Emirates, but Shouman decided to stay.

Sommer explained that Shouman felt he was fulfilling his duty by filming the war in Gaza and its repercussions.

However, news about him has been cut off since January 21 this month, according to Sommer.

Sources told Sommer that Shouman was seen at Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip and that he then headed towards the city of Rafah adjacent to the border with Egypt.

Three witnesses told Shouman’s team that Israeli soldiers arrested the Canadian-Palestinian journalist last Tuesday. But this information has not been verified.

The Ministry of Global Affairs in Ottawa said it is aware of the disappearance of a Canadian citizen in the Gaza Strip.

The ministry, which includes the Foreign Affairs Ministry and other ministries, added that it is closely monitoring the situation and is in contact with Shouman’s relatives.

Shouman’s mother, Dr. Mai Hussein, told the "CBC" news network (the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's English service) from her home in Abu Dhabi that the last time she spoke with her son was on January 21 and that since then she has been in contact with the Canadian government about his disappearance.

"Can the Canadian government do something? Ask the Israeli army or Israeli authorities… whether my son is with them or not?"

"He is just a civilian journalist trying to help people," Hussein said about her missing son.

A petition was launched on Saturday on the change.org website demanding the "immediate release" of Mansour Shouman. By Sunday afternoon, the petition had gathered more than 90,000 signatures.