The first group of Canadians from the West Bank has crossed into Jordan on Monday, Canada’s minister of foreign affairs said.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Melanie Joly confirmed the group arrived safely but did not specify how many Canadians made the crossing.
Joly said she was “elated” the group of Canadians arrived after “around the clock” work from teams in Israel, Jordan and Canada.
Global Affairs Canada held a technical briefing Sunday to update Canadians on the crisis and the government’s plans to help Canadians in the region.
Assistant deputy minister for consular security and emergency management Julie Sunday explained some of the government’s plans for the evacuation, which included land transportation beginning as early as Monday.
She said Canadians would get on one bus from Ramallah and cross the West Bank through Allenby Gate. From there they would switch buses before entering Jordan, and added more details would be made available “in the coming days.”
Tensions have continued to escalate between Israel and Hamas, which the Canadian government has declared a terrorist group, since the surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
To date, five Canadians have been confirmed killed amid the war, as Canada continues to plan pathways for citizens, permanent residents and their families out of the war zone.
On Monday, Israeli forces were preparing for a ground attack into Gaza and had been asking civilians to find a way out of the region. There are about 450 Canadians registered in the West Bank and Gaza, and more than 6,800 Canadians registered in Israel.
A previous pathway out of Gaza through Egypt fell through over the weekend.
As of Sunday evening, about 1,000 Canadians have been repatriated from Israel to Athens via a Canadian Armed Forced operation. Since the beginning of the crisis, Global Affairs Canada has received about 4,200 inquiries.
With files from CTV News’ Rachel Aiello
