Global Affairs confirms death of 5th Canadian in Israel

Global Affairs Canada has confirmed that at least five Canadians are dead after Hamas militants conducted a series of attacks in Israel.

On Sunday officials confirmed the death of a fifth Canadian, but did not identify nor provide any personal details on the individual, citing privacy concerns.

Three other Canadians who were in Israel when the attacks happened last Saturday are still missing.

“We are very focused on addressing the cases of the three missing persons, who we continue to try to locate and bring back to safety in Canada,” Julie Sunday, an assistant deputy minister with Global Affairs Canada, said at a media briefing in Ottawa.

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The government is still working to get up to 300 Canadians and their relatives out of Israel and Gaza, Sunday said, as Israel gears up for an expected ground invasion.

A plan to allow foreign nationals to leave the territory via the border crossing with Egypt fell through on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Israel has blocked fuel, electricity, food and water from entering Gaza prompting concerns from aid workers of a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.

Officials say another 250 Canadians, permanent residents and their relatives may be able to leave the West Bank by bus to Jordan next week. However, they warned that crossings and Israeli-controlled checkpoints in Jerusalem are in a constant state of uncertainty.

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Sunday warned of travel to Lebanon, where there have been violent clashes along the border with Israel.

More than 1,000 Canadians have left Israel since the war began through military planes bound for Athens. Two planes departed on Sunday and two more are scheduled for Monday.

Thousands have been killed thus far in the war sparked by the Hamas attacks and retaliatory strikes from Israel on the Gaza Strip.

This report was created with files from The Canadian Press

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