Stranded Families and Canadians Await Border Relief Amid Ongoing Gaza-Israel Conflict
On Monday, numerous families on the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing anxiously waited for someone to open a chain-link fence, believing they had been promised the opportunity to cross into Egypt. Many parents, along with their young children, had endured a three-day wait, hoping to escape the territory.
This situation unfolded as hundreds of Canadians found themselves stranded in Gaza and the West Bank during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza, which had reached its 10th day. Many had sought to exit through Rafah, the only border crossing out of Gaza not under Israeli control, only to discover that the rumored ceasefire to open the border was not taking place.
Thousands of people were left stranded at the closed border crossing with Egypt after hearing claims that they might be able to leave as part of a ceasefire for humanitarian aid and civilian evacuation. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later clarified on Monday that no such deal had been made.
Meanwhile, hundreds of trucks loaded with critical food, fuel, and humanitarian aid remained stranded on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border. Supermarket shelves and gas stations in the region were running low as Israel continued its airstrikes in response to Hamas’s recent invasion. Hospitals in Gaza faced a crisis with dwindling supplies of water, power, and medicine, as reported by the United Nations.
In light of Israel’s plans for a ground invasion of Gaza, Canadian officials are actively working to assist up to 300 Canadian citizens and permanent residents in leaving the territory. Another 250 Canadians require support to depart from the West Bank, a Palestinian territory that Israel has occupied since 1967.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly announced that on Monday, 21 Canadians and foreign nationals took a bus out of the West Bank into neighboring Jordan.
The situation in the region escalated when Hamas fighters crossed into Israel from Gaza on October 7, resulting in casualties among civilians and the taking of hostages. In response, Israel launched attacks on Gaza, which has been under Hamas control since 2007. Israel’s blockade has led to severe shortages of food, water, and electricity for the 2.3 million Palestinians living in Gaza, one of the most densely populated and impoverished territories in the world.
Over the past 10 days, the conflict has claimed the lives of more than 4,000 people on both sides.
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