Many people with ties to Canada still trying to leave Gaza

As constant bombardment in Gaza continues, and as Israel suggests it plans to expand its operations to the south, many people with ties to Canada are still trying to leave.

This as people in Canada are calling for an immediate ceasefire, saying the human cost, especially children, is too much as the death toll steadily climbs.

The media office of Hamas reported that since the outbreak of the conflict on October 7th, over 12,000 people have died, including more than 5,000 children.

Thirty-one premature babies, which had been left behind when Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital was evacuated, are now being treated at a unit in Rafah, near the border crossing into Egypt.

Gaza’s health ministry said eight premature babies had died in al-Shifa due to lack of power and medicines.

A team led by the World Health Organization that visited the hospital described it as a “death zone.”

READ MORE: Gaza hospital struggles amid Israel-Hamas war

Here in Canada, the weight of the losses in Gaza are being felt.

A demonstration was held at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto to mark World Children’s Day.

The organizers say the point of the event is to raise awareness of the children who have been killed in Gaza, and in Israel, since the Israel-Hamas war began.

A banner showed the names of thousands of children who were killed in Gaza and Israel, and some of their pictures were displayed.

The heartbreak weighs heavily on children and teens here in Canada.

“It creates a lot of anxiety and depression and guilt, that they are living in a land that is free, and they have food. The children in Gaza haven’t had any food or water for a month,” Professor of Clinical Medicine at McMaster University, Aliya Khan said.

Demonstrators say the Canadian government needs to do more to help.

“It’s really important we urge our government to stand up and demand a ceasefire, we need to remove, evacuate the children, the sick, the elderly,” Khan said.

READ MORE: Israel agrees to regularly let fuel into Gaza

But for some here hoping their families could get out of Gaza, it’s already too late.

“Five days ago, the head of the Ashour family was attacked, they bombed the house twice. The first time they bombed the house they killed two women and seven children, second time they killed about 17 or 15 more members of the family, pretty much everybody in the house,” Hada Ashour said.

And for his family members that are still alive, the possibility of escape appears impossible.

“I’ve talked to them seeing if they could escape. There is no way of escaping, they just have to wait and die,” Ashour said.

The names of 135 Canadians were on the official list of foreign nationals cleared for journey from southern Gaza to Egypt through the Rafah border crossing on Sunday.

However, right now, it is unclear exactly how many people have been able to make it out.