The militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, with hundreds of gunmen infiltrating communities near the Gaza Strip. At least 1,400 Israelis were killed, while the Israeli military states 203 soldiers and civilians, including women and children, were taken to Gaza as hostages. Israel formally declared a state of war on October 8. The Israeli military carried out air and artillery strikes in response to Hamas terrorists’ horrific invasion, aiming to eliminate any Hamas military capabilities within the Gaza Strip. More than 3,700 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in the strikes.

In this difficult time, it is crucial to emphasize that all innocent lives, irrespective of nationality or faith, hold equal and invaluable worth. Canadians stand in solidarity with all the victims. Our hearts go out to the families enduring the pain of loss and uncertainty, especially the loved ones of fellow Canadians.

For those Canadians still facing peril or under the control of Hamas, every possible effort must be made to secure their safe return. We firmly back initiatives to facilitate the safe departure of Canadian and foreign nationals via the Rafah crossing. Hamas must not impede these critical efforts.

The safety of Canadians should remain the government’s paramount concern and we demand swift actions to establish necessary security measures in this volatile situation.

We must also urgently prioritize minimizing the suffering and safeguarding the lives of innocent Palestinians caught in these tragic events. Hamas must immediately cease its obstruction of Palestinians seeking refuge in the southern part of the Gaza strip.

Some Significant Dates:

October 9 – First Canadian Death: Montrealer Alexander Look was believed by his family to be among those killed at the Kibbutz Re’im music festival: https://globalnews.ca/news/10016098/israel-gaza-hamas-attack-montreal-victim-family/
October 10 – A second Canadian man, Ben Mizrachi from Vancouver, was confirmed to have been killed by Hamas: https://thecjn.ca/lives/obituaries/ben-mizrachi-22/
October 11 – Ottawa woman Adi Vital-Kaploun is confirmed dead in the Hamas attacks: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/adi-vital-kaploun-israel-ottawa-canadian-killed-1.6993525
October: 14 – 22-year-old Shir Georgy’s family confirmed her death: https://www.reuters.com/world/canada-confirms-fourth-death-israel-seeks-gaza-west-bank-evacuations-2023-10-14/
October 15 – The fifth Canadian citizen, 21-year-old Netta Epstein was confirmed dead in the Hamas attack: https://globalnews.ca/news/10026177/israel-hamas-conflict-canadian-netta-epstein-death/?utm_source=ground.news&utm_medium=referral
October 17 – 23-year-old Tiferet Lapidot was confirmed to be the Sixth Canadian killed by Hamas terrorists: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/israeli-woman-with-canadian-relatives-has-died

More Background Info:

• https://abcnews.go.com/International/timeline-long-history-israeli-palestinian-conflict/story?id=103875134
• https://abcnews.go.com/International/timeline-surprise-rocket-attack-hamas-israel/story?id=103816006
• https://globalnews.ca/news/10017540/israel-hamas-attack-timeline/