12.86°C Vancouver 12.86°C Vancouver
Oct 13, 2023 5:39 PM - The Canadian Press
Canada's foreign affairs minister has arrived in Tel Aviv as she visits Israel and Jordan to hold talks on the impacts of Hamas' attack on Israel and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Global Affairs Canada says in a statement that Minister Mélanie Joly travelled to the Middle East through Greece, the destination of the first two airlifts of Canadians out of Israel.
The statement says Joly will "reaffirm Canada's support for Israel and its right to defend itself in accordance with international law," while pushing forward collective efforts to ensure the swift passage of humanitarian aid and the protection of both Israeli and Palestinian civilians.
It says she will engage with Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Jordan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The three-day trip comes after Hamas militants staged a deadly massacre in Israel last Saturday, with ensuing Israeli bombardments killing hundreds in besieged Gaza.
Israel's military told about one million Palestinians to evacuate northern Gaza on Friday and head to the southern part of the sealed-off coastal enclave ahead of an expected ground invasion, an order that the U.N. warned would be impossible and potentially calamitous on a 24-hour deadline.
