Canadian Government Calls Back Children of Diplomats in Israel

The Canadian foreign ministry called for the temporary relocation of children and other family members of its diplomats in Israel, according to Canada’s national news agency.  

Citing Global Affairs Canada, the Canadian Press confirmed that the government had approved the transfer of children and guardians to a third country, given fears of further escalation in the Middle East following the deaths of senior members of both Hamas and Hezbollah.  

While the war between Israel and Hamas rages on in Gaza, tensions between the involved parties have skyrocketed since the killings and have already prompted Canada to warn its nationals against all travel to Israel late last week.  

Days after the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran during the inauguration of Iran’s new president, the death of Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut sparked condemnation and threats of further escalation from Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas. 

While Iran and its proxies have pledged a ferocious response to the killings, Yahya Sinwar, the Palestinian group’s former leader in the Gaza Strip and Israel’s top leadership target in its war to destroy Hamas, has since been appointed to the group’s top political post. 

The Canadian government noted in its statement that its diplomatic staff stationed in Ramallah and Beirut already do not have dependents living with them and confirmed that its embassies in Tel Aviv and Beirut, as well as the representative office in the West Bank, “all remain fully operational and continue to provide essential services to Canadians.”