Expectations of an impending ground invasion are mounting in Rafah in the south of Gaza, following a wave of air attacks that provided cover for an Israeli hostage rescue mission.
The high-risk operation involved soldiers storming a heavily guarded apartment building to free two Israeli hostages held by Hamas militants for more than four months.
The escalating military action by Israel in Rafah propelled more than 100 Palestinian supporters to demonstrate outside the Prime Minister's Office in Ottawa. Hala Alshaer was among the protesters demanding the federal government do more to end the war and bring trapped Canadians out of Gaza.
The Palestinian Canadian says, between the relatives on her mother and father's side, her family has lost more than 200 extended relatives since the Israel-Hamas war began in October.
"They're wiping out streets, families – entire family trees," said Alshaer, who fears her cousin Ahmed Alagha and his family will be among the growing number of victims.
Alagha, who used to live in Toronto before moving to Chicago, is among the 1.4 million people, or half the population of Gaza, seeking refuge in the southern city of Rafah near the Egyptian border.
Canadian Ahmed Alagha, 48. He and his sons were arrested by Israeli forces along with about 20 other men, following a raid in their building on Feb. 7. (Photo submitted by Yasmeen Elagha)
Alagha and his wife and five children have dual Canadian and American citizenship. The family has been displaced several times since the war began and fled to Rafah after their names were placed on a list of foreign nationals approved to cross into Egypt in November. The border closed before they could cross.
Alshaer says her relatives are in greater danger now after Alagha, 48, and his two oldest sons, Borak, 18, and Hashem, 20, were after a raid last Wednesday on the building where they were sheltering. Their mentally disabled uncle was also taken by soldiers.
She said Alagha's wife and younger children were blindfolded then "tied up and thrown against a wall – then, (soldiers) rounded up the men and their whereabouts are unknown."
Houston immigration lawyer Maria Kari is pressuring both the U.S. and Canadian government to find out where Alagha and his sons are, while simultaneously trying to get his wife and other children out of Gaza. Kari says the men are civilians. One son had just graduated from high school, while the other was studying engineering in university.
More than 100 demonstrators protested outside the Prime Minister's Office following a wave of Israeli bombings in Rafah on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. (Judy Trinh, Â鶹´«Ã½)
"They are not part of any group. They were rounded up in one of the raids the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) has been doing indiscriminately against men of military age." Kari says Israel is not making a distinction between who is a civilian and who is Hamas.
Kari is advocating on behalf of 40 families trapped in Gaza and says her phone is ringing constantly. The stories she hears are getting increasingly desperate.
"Terror, starvation and disease was already looming large. I have family members that I'm in touch with who are eating cats and dogs and sleeping in chicken coops," says Kari. "The sheer scale of the humanitarian disaster is incomprehensible."
The United Nations says one in four people in Gaza are starving and that not enough food, water and medicine is getting in.
Global Affairs Canada (GAC) says since Nov. 1, 2023, when the Rafah border crossing reopened to foreign nationals, more than 760 Canadians, permanent residents and immediate family members have exited Gaza. GAC spokesperson John Babcock says that 30 of these people left in the last week prior to the new wave of bombardments.
A ground invasion of Rafah by Israel appears likely, says Jack Cunningham, a professor of international relations at Trinity College at the University of Toronto. Rafah is where Hamas has its last battalions of fighters and the last urban area under its control.
"Both the leadership of the organization and the remaining hostages are there, and it includes the last remaining set of tunnels through which Hamas can smuggle weapons in from the outside world," says Cunningham.
A new poll by the Angus Reid Institute indicates a shift in Canadian opinion. After more than four months of war, sympathies for Palestinians have drawn to a near-even level with sympathies for Israelis.
One-third of Canadians say their sympathies are "about equal" between both sides. This closes a 10-point gap which existed at the beginning of the conflict.
Hamas attacked Israeli border towns on Oct. 7, taking approximately 250 Israeli civilians and soldiers hostage. The attacks resulted in more than 1,100 deaths.
According to Angus Reid, 50 per cent of Canadians now believe Israel's response has been "too heavy-handed," which is a five-point increase from November.
The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 28,000 Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 7, and more than 67,000 are injured. Two-thirds of the victims are women and children.
The UN and U.S. government say there's no reason to doubt the figures.
This Monday, Sept. 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR), a federal statutory holiday and day of remembrance for the Indigenous children who never came home from Canadian residential schools, as well as those who survived them.
British Columbia saw a rare unanimous vote in its legislature in October 2019, when members passed a law adopting the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, setting out standards including free, prior and informed consent for actions affecting them.
A pedestrian has died after reportedly getting struck by an OPP cruiser in Bala early Sunday morning.
Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and A-list Hollywood actor, has died.
Republicans on Sunday sought to distance themselves from Donald Trump's latest insults of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris during a rambling weekend rally in Wisconsin in which he called her 'mentally disabled.'
The U.S. southeast grappled with rising death tolls, a lack of vital supplies and widespread loss of homes and properties with the devastating toll of Hurricane Helene.
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A child was sent to hospital after being attacked by a coyote in northwest Calgary.
A pedestrian has died after reportedly getting struck by an OPP cruiser in Bala early Sunday morning.
British Columbia saw a rare unanimous vote in its legislature in October 2019, when members passed a law adopting the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, setting out standards including free, prior and informed consent for actions affecting them.
A commemorative rally marking the fourth anniversary of Joyce Echaquan’s death will take place in Ville-Marie on Saturday afternoon.
Alberta's premier spoke to calls for an outside, independent investigation into the death of Jon Wells during an incident involving Calgary police last week.
Republicans on Sunday sought to distance themselves from Donald Trump's latest insults of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris during a rambling weekend rally in Wisconsin in which he called her 'mentally disabled.'
A reaction following a fire at a Georgia chemical plant Sunday morning is forcing evacuations and road closures in the area, according to Rockdale County officials.
Witnesses on Monday reported the first Israeli airstrike in central Beirut in nearly a year of conflict, hours after Israel struck targets across Lebanon and killed dozens of people over the weekend.
Tim Walz and JD Vance might have the chance to reshape the political landscape Tuesday in their first and only debate.
U.S. President Joe Biden said he would speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and believes that an all-out war in the Middle East must be avoided.
Riding in a black SUV with tinted windows, lawyer Mariel Colon rolls up to the gates of a remote mansion, strolling past a security guard side-by-side with Emma Coronel, the wife of notorious drug lord JoaquÃn 'El Chapo' Guzman.
The Liberal government is announcing more details on its existing strategy and funding to fight hate crimes.
Migrant groups are pushing the federal government to reverse its cap on international study permits and tightening post-graduate work permit qualifications, claiming it will leave many students 'in limbo.'
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A man from Alberta has been at the Medipal International Hospital in Kampala, Uganda for over two months with a hefty medical bill. He says he can’t leave until it’s been paid for.
More than 550 symptomatic people responded to an online questionnaire about a gastrointestinal illness at a Prince Edward Island shellfish festival last weekend.
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Canadian innovators and technical leaders gathered in Ottawa Thursday to demonstrate the latest cutting-edge technology.
SpaceX launched a rescue mission for the two stuck astronauts at the International Space Station on Saturday, sending up a downsized crew to bring them home but not until next year.
Trees haven't grown on the Falkland Islands for thousands of years. But tree trunks and branches preserved in peat suggest the islands were once home to a forest.
John Ashton, the veteran character actor who memorably played the gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the 'Beverly Hills Cop' films, has died. He was 76.
Francis Ford Coppola’s decades-in-the-making, self-financed epic 'Megalopolis' flopped with moviegoers, while the acclaimed DreamWorks Animation family film 'The Wild Robot' soared to No. 1 at the weekend box office.
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When Annie Korver sits down with a new corporate or small business client, she encourages them to focus first on the 'truth' part of Truth and Reconciliation.
The U.S. Department of Transportation said Friday it had fined Air Canada US$250,000 for operating flights in 2022 and 2023 in prohibited Iraqi airspace.
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More than 12,000 vehicles in Canada are included in two separate recalls by Toyota Motor Corp. and Mazda.
A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.
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Here are five things to do in Vancouver this weekend to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
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Bullet casings recovered from the scene of a B.C. woman’s murder 30 years ago will be retested for DNA after the province’s highest court ruled it is “in the interests of justice†to do so in support of an ongoing appeal.
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A disappointing season was capped with one final blow Sunday as the Toronto Blue Jays dropped a 3-1 decision to the Miami Marlins.
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Sandy Yep's roots dig deep in Chinatown. His family planted themselves in the neighbourhood in 1895, and four generations later, he was raised in its vibrancy. "When I was growing up, you would hear mahjong being played, you would hear voices of families laughing and running," Yep said. His ties to Chinatown are framed in several photos displayed in an outdoor exhibit in the heart of the neighbourhood.
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Kim Ruether lifted her son's eyelid and saw his still, dilated pupil staring at the ceiling as he lay on a stretcher in a northwestern Alberta hospital hallway a decade ago. She says she didn't need a doctor to tell her the boy was dead.
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The East Coast Ukrainian Festival kicked off at Pier 21 in Halifax on Saturday, celebrating Ukrainian culture and traditions.
Residents in Tadoule Lake, Man., and Churchill can expect to see heavy rain trickle in Sunday afternoon, lingering until Monday evening.
Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen touched down in Winnipeg this week, ahead of his lunar mission set to launch in a year’s time.
Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews believe a candle caused a major house fire in the city’s William Whyte neighbourhood Sunday afternoon.
The Regina Public Library (RPL) downtown hosted an architectural tour on Sunday, for folks looking to learn more about the building's history.
In front of the Saskatchewan Legislative building, law enforcement officers and members of the public gathered to pay tribute to peace officers who died in the line of duty.
A man is in custody after allegedly robbing a business in McLean, Sask. with an edged weapon on Saturday.
People in Guelph may notice a new addition at the entrance to Franchetto Park in Guelph.
A young motorcyclist has been taken to an out-of-region hospital after a single vehicle crash in Woolwich Township.
A grassroots organization is calling on the provincial government to reopen the Ontario Science Centre after it was abruptly closed in June following the discovery of structural issues in the building.
The fourth and final walk in memory of Megan Gallagher drew around one hundred people in Saskatoon on Sunday.
RCMP are seeking tips after a church on Main Street in Loon Lake burned to the ground.
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A crash between a car and motorcycle closed a portion of Oxford St. in downtown London for several hours on Sunday.
On Saturday night at her parents’ home in Delaware, Ont. the Olympic bronze medallist in pole vault welcomed everyone who played a role in getting her to the podium in Paris.
The fourth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada is on Monday, Sept. 30.
A pedestrian has died after reportedly getting struck by an OPP cruiser in Bala early Sunday morning.
OPP officers arrested a suspect while he was in the middle of a possible theft Sunday morning in Wasaga Beach.
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Two and a half years after losing her best friend and first love to suicide, Brooke Ford shared her story of grief and resilience at the CMHA Windsor-Essex Suicide Awareness Walk.
The BSI aims to elevate Black academic excellence, promoting scholarship, mentorship, and cultural knowledge.
The fourth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada is on Monday, Sept. 30.
Bullet casings recovered from the scene of a B.C. woman’s murder 30 years ago will be retested for DNA after the province’s highest court ruled it is “in the interests of justice†to do so in support of an ongoing appeal.
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Fire crews in Vernon, B.C., responded to a large house fire early Saturday morning.
A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.
The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
The sentencing for three men convicted of helping lead and coordinate the COVID-19 protest blockade at Coutts, Alta., in 2022 has been delayed.
A 10-year-old boy from Lethbridge is being praised as a hero after a routine summer outing at the pool nearly turned tragic for his friend.
A man and woman have been charged after a Lethbridge ice creamery was broken into earlier this week. Staff arrived at Cookie Crimes, in the 300 block of Sixth Street South, just before 5:30 a.m. on Monday to discover the front window broken.
Overnight on Thursday as the community of Elliot Lake was resting to prepare for the upcoming Kraft Hockeyville celebrations, when vandals struck a building that has been top of mind for the northern Ontario city for more than a year.
Ontario Provincial Police remind the public that ‘a case is never closed until it is solved,’ while highlighting the force's continued investigation of the 1996 disappearance of Melanie Ethier.
Sault residents may notice some commotion on the Algoma University campus over the next two weeks as a team conducts an archaeological search.
A mother in a community where the cost of living is one of the highest in the country says grocery prices are 'inhumane' and retailers are putting profits ahead of people’s basic human right to food.
A soccer game in England on Tuesday night drove a spike in online traffic across the Atlantic to a website launched by the Newfoundland and Labrador government.
Newfoundland and Labrador sponsored a minor football team in England, now they’re about to play one of the biggest clubs in European soccer.
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