Ottawa will end evacuation flights from Israel next week, citing decreasing demand and increasingly available commercial options now that a number of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøs have successfully left the country since the latest Israel-Hamas war began.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says in a statement that the last scheduled assisted departure flight from Tel Aviv will leave on Monday.
Joly says ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Armed Forces aircraft will remain on stand-by in the region in case conditions change and the demand for evacuation flights ramps up again.
She says there have been 17 evacuation flights out of Tel Aviv over nine days and Canada has assisted nearly 1,600 ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøs, permanent residents and eligible family members, and foreign nationals leave Israel to date.
Joly adds the government has helped 33 people leave the West Bank, and teams in Ramallah and Ottawa remain in contact with ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøs seeking to leave the region.
She says the government is continuing work to secure a window for ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøs to exit Gaza and is providing them information on the situation, including windows for a possible exit at the border crossing in Rafah.
"My message to ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøs who are in Israel is clear: If you want to leave Israel for safety reasons, now is the time to do so," said Joly through a Global Affairs Canada release.
"The situation in Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip remains volatile and is deteriorating rapidly."
ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøs looking for assistance to leave the region should contact Global Affairs to register for one of the remaining flights, and those who need emergency consular assistance should contact the Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa, she added.
Global Affairs said Friday it is supporting six ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø families following multiple deaths since war broke out following Hamas’ surprise incursion into Israel two weeks ago, as well as families of two missing ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøs.
This report by ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø was first published Oct. 21, 2023.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version incorrectly stated that there have been 33 evacuation flights from the West Bank.
