The situation in Israel and the West Bank and the Gaza Strip remains volatile and is deteriorating rapidly. Canada's missions in the region are actively monitoring the situation and working with partners and like-minded governments, as well as with the international community, to address the situation.
Today, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs; the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence; the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship; and the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Transport provided an update on giving assistance to Canadians in Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, including assisted departures.
The safety and security of Canadians abroad is Canada's top priority. Canada is actively working on starting assisted departures of Canadians, permanent residents and their eligible family members from Tel Aviv to Athens with the support of Canadian Armed Forces aircraft, then onward to Canada with the support of Air Canada flights. Canadian officials are also working on additional options for those who cannot reach the airport in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Canada is deploying members of Global Affairs Canada's Standing Rapid Deployment Team (SRDT) to the region to increase its ability to support our missions and to further assess needs on the ground.
The SRDT has highly trained employees on standby and ready to deploy on short notice to assist the Government of Canada when responding to emergencies. Team members provide emergency response, coordination, consular assistance and logistical support.
Consular services continue to be available to Canadians in Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Officials in Ottawa are also in regular contact with affected Canadians, providing them with information and advice as the situation develops. Further, officials at Canadian missions in nearby countries are actively supporting the response to the crisis.
Canadians who wish to leave or who need emergency consular assistance should contact the Embassy of Canada to Israel in Tel Aviv at 972 (3) 636-3300, the Representative Office of Canada in Ramallah, West Bank, at 972 (2) 297-8430 or Global Affairs Canada's Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa:
