Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Hatem Moussa
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is giving an initial $10 million in humanitarian assistance for urgent needs in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
He also says the first airlift of 130 Canadians that left Tel Aviv earlier today has landed in Athens.
The federal government said Wednesday that flights could begin leaving as early as today, with up to 150 passengers on board.
Officials say around 700 Canadians in Israel have asked for help to leave the country since violence broke out on Saturday.
Canada does not usually provide military air transportation when commercial flights are still operating, but the government says people have been asking for help because it’s difficult to get tickets.
A second Royal Canadian Air Force flight, which Trudeau says has landed in Tel Aviv, is listed on the departures board for this evening local time, and a third for Friday afternoon.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 12, 2023.
