Joly Mum on Canadian Hostages in Gaza, Says Negotiation Team to Be Dispatched

Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly arrives for a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Sept. 26, 2023. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is not confirming whether any Canadians have been taken hostage in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel, although she says a negotiation team will be dispatched to the region.

“I will not confirm whether Canada has any hostages because I don’t want to increase their value and put their lives in danger,” she said during a press conference on Oct. 11. “What I can say, though, is we’ve been in contact with the chief negotiator of hostages in Israel, and Canada will be sending a team of experts to support him and his team.”

Two Canadian casualties have been confirmed as a result of the attack that took place on Oct. 7, with another potential fatality pending official confirmation, said Ms. Joly. Additionally, three individuals are reported as missing.

When questioned about Ottawa’s hesitancy in acknowledging the presence of Canadian hostages, Ms. Joly said that it follows a “standard approach” of not confirming hostages, with respect to reducing the risk to their safety.

Ms. Joly declined to confirm whether the government intends to impose sanctions on Hamas, saying only that she is engaged in communication with the White House and “many important players in the region.”

“I'll have more to say in the coming hours on this issue,” she said.

Ms. Joly disputed assertions that Canadians in the regions affected by the attack had limited access to consular support over the Thanksgiving weekend. She emphasized that Canadian missions in neighbouring countries, such as Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon, have taken proactive measures to offer assistance to the Canadian embassy in Israel.

She added that the government is arranging departure flights for Canadians in the region using Canadian Armed Forces aircraft to transport them from Tel Aviv to Athens, saying the process is set to start by the end of this week.

Ms. Joly said her department is working with Transport Canada to secure Air Canada planes to bring Canadian residents, permanent residents, and their families back from Athens.