Minister 'pissed off' over Israel, Egypt blocking family members of Canadians from leaving Gaza

Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Marc Miller, has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the current situation where extended family members of Canadians are unable to leave the conflict-ridden Gaza Strip. Last month, Ottawa submitted a list of approximately 1,000 individuals approved for entry into Canada to Israeli and Egyptian authorities, who jointly oversee the sole border crossing out of Gaza, located at Rafah. This initiative was aimed at reuniting Canadian citizens with their spouses or common-law partners, children, grandchildren, siblings and their immediate families, as well as parents and grandparents, regardless of their age. The plan allowed them temporary residence in Canada while hostilities persist in Gaza. However, none of them have been permitted to exit the coastal enclave yet. Expressing his frustration, Minister Miller stated to reporters, “I’m pretty pissed off about it.” He acknowledged potential concerns on the ground but emphasised the humanitarian nature of the gesture, expressing immense frustration with the delay. Previously, the Canadian government had focused its efforts on evacuating over 600 Canadians along with their spouses and children from Gaza. The conflict escalated following an unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, resulting in a significant loss of civilian lives, according to official figures. In response, Israel’s military operations have caused further casualties, predominantly among women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed troops to advance on the city of Rafah in Gaza’s southern region, where hundreds of thousands of civilians have sought refuge from the ongoing bombardments.