August 7, 2014 - The Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State (Foreign Affairs and Consular), today issued the following statement regarding the third wave of assisted departures of Canadians from Gaza:
“Today, our consular officials successfully assisted a third wave of 20 people, including Canadian citizens and accompanying family members, in safely travelling from Gaza to Jordan.
“Canadian consular officials in Tel Aviv, Ramallah and Amman worked closely with our allies and partners, under the direction of the United Nations, to ensure that all necessary approvals for this operation were secured and that Canadians wishing to leave Gaza were able to do so safely.
“Given the volatile situation in Gaza, the ability of Canadian officials to provide consular assistance is limited.”
Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (DFATD) has been advising against all travel to the Gaza Strip since October 10, 2000, and on July 11, 2014, Canadians were advised to leave the Gaza Strip.
Canadian citizens in Gaza requiring consular assistance should contact the Representative Office of Canada to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah at 972 (2) 297-8430 or contact the Emergency Watch and Response Centre by phone, collect, at 1-613-996-8885 or by email at sos@international.gc.ca.
A backgrounder on consular assistance follows.
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Saro Khatchadourian
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of State (Foreign Affairs and Consular)
613-944-2300
Saro.Khatchadourian@international.gc.ca
Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
343-203-7700
media@international.gc.ca
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DFATD advises against all travel to regions of Israel bordering Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
It is strongly recommended that Canadian citizens currently in Gaza register with the Registration of Canadians Abroad service to receive the latest advice and advisories from the Government of Canada, as well as direct communications offering further assistance to those wishing to depart.
Canadians wishing to leave the Gaza Strip should contact DFATD’s Emergency Watch and Response Centre by phone, collect, at 1-613-996-8885 or by email at sos@international.gc.ca.
For the latest advice and to obtain more information from the Government of Canada, Canadians should consult the travel advice and advisories for Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Twitter users may also follow @DFATDCanada and @CanEmbIsrael.
