By Canadian Press

Canadian woman terrified for loved ones in Gaza as Israel orders evacuation

Oct 13, 2023 | 8:51 AM

A Canadian woman with family in Gaza says she’s terrified her relatives will die in the coming days after Israel’s military told about one million Palestinians to evacuate northern parts of the sealed-off territory ahead of an expected ground invasion.

Dalya Shaath, a resident of Montreal, says some of her family members sent her goodbye messages in the last few hours. 

She says some of her cousins have chosen to stay in northern Gaza to remain with elderly family members who can’t evacuate, while others have told her they have left their homes and are making their way south. 

Israel’s military has told about one million Palestinians to evacuate northern Gaza and head to the southern part of the sealed-off coastal enclave, an unprecedented order applying to nearly half the population ahead of an expected ground invasion against Hamas, which staged a shocking and brutal attack on Israel nearly a week ago.

The order sparked panic among civilians and aid workers already running from a barrage of Israeli airstrikes, as the U.N. warned staging such an evacuation on a 24-hour deadline would be impossible and potentially calamitous.

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Shaath, speaking through tears, says Canada needs to call for an end to the conflict. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2023.

The Canadian Press