National Defence Minister Bill Blair said that the Canadian Armed Forces began their airlift today to evacuate Canadian citizens and permanent residents in Canada, and their family members, from Israel.

The first return flight for Canadians arrived in the Greek capital Athens from Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, with about 130 passengers on board.

“We are working tirelessly to help Canadians in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. We will be there to assist Canadians who need help,” added Blair.

For his part, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that a second Canadian military transport plane landed in Tel Aviv to evacuate Canadians to Athens.

At Athens Airport, the evacuated Canadians are boarding a flight with Air Canada to return to Canada.

Canada’s ambassador to Israel, Lisa Stadelbauer, confirmed that all Canadians wishing to leave Israel will be able to do so.

She also said she understands the feelings of frustration among Canadians who believe that their country has been slow in the evacuation process that began today, on the sixth day of the conflict between Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, and the State of Israel.

Stadelbauer added that the staff at the Canadian Embassy in Tel Aviv is “very small” and receives up to 300 emails daily from individuals wanting to leave Israeli territory.

She also confirmed that flights departing from Tel Aviv Airport will continue in the coming days as part of carrying out this “complex” evacuation operation.

Regarding Canadian citizens trapped in the Gaza Strip, the Canadian ambassador in Tel Aviv said that getting them out of there is “extremely complicated,” if it is even possible.

There are approximately 70 Canadians trapped in the Gaza Strip, which is tightly besieged by Israeli forces and heavily bombarded from the air and land.

Also in a television interview today, Mohammed Shihada from within the Gaza Strip requested help from the Canadian government to evacuate his family. Shihada recounted how Israeli bombardment forced him, his wife, and their two children, who hold Canadian citizenship, to leave their home and seek refuge with friends.

Justin Trudeau announced that his government would provide “initial” humanitarian assistance of $10 million “to respond to urgent needs in Israel and the Gaza Strip.”

Federal Minister of International Development, Ahmed Hussen, announced in a press release that Canada is providing this assistance in response to “recent appeals from experienced and reliable humanitarian partners” in the region.

In this context, the Canadian government has asked Canadians to “avoid all non-essential travel to Lebanon,” attributing this to “the unpredictable security situation and increasing risk of terrorist attacks and armed conflict with Israel.”