Foreign Affairs Committee on Oct. 23rd, 2023

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

I call this meeting to order.

Welcome to meeting number 77 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.

Today's meeting is being held in public and is taking place in a hybrid format pursuant to the Standing Orders. Therefore, members are attending in person in the room and remotely by using the Zoom application.

I would like to make a few comments for the benefit of members and witnesses.

Before speaking, please wait until I recognize you by name. For those participating by video conference, click on the microphone icon to activate your mike, and please do mute yourselves when you are not speaking. For those in the room, your microphone will be controlled by the proceedings and verification officer. You may speak in the official language of your choice.

Although this room is equipped with a powerful audio system, feedback events can occur. These can be extremely harmful to interpreters and cause serious injuries. The most common cause of sound feedback is an earpiece worn too close to a microphone.

I will remind you that all comments should be addressed through the chair.

With regard to a speaking list, the committee clerk and I will do the very best we possibly can to maintain a consolidated order of speaking for all members, whether they are participating virtually or in person.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee will proceed to a briefing on the situation in Israel and Gaza. I would now like to welcome our witnesses.

From the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, we are grateful to have with us Ms. Julie Sunday, assistant deputy minister, consular, security and emergency management; Ms. Ann Flanagan Whalen, director general, North Africa, Israel, West Bank/Gaza; and Mr. Sébastien Beaulieu, director general, emergency management and security division.

In addition, from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration, we have with us Ms. Jennifer MacIntyre, assistant deputy minister, international affairs and crisis response.

Should everyone be agreeable, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development will be allotted 10 minutes for its opening statement. The Department of Citizenship and Immigration has been invited, and they are here to answer any questions that may be posed by the members.

We will start off with the Department of Foreign Affairs.

You have 10 minutes for your opening statement.

[Ann Flanagan Whalen, Director General, North Africa, Israel, West Bank/Gaza, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development]

Good morning, Mr. Chair and members of the committee.

Thank you for the invitation to brief the committee today on recent events in Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Developments are moving quite quickly. I will focus on how the conflict is evolving and on Canadian approaches, but I will avoid discussing hypothetical and future-oriented scenarios.

On October 7, 2023, the terrorist group Hamas launched a large-scale terrorist attack against Israel. Hamas brutally killed over 1,300 Israelis and kidnapped over 100 civilians. The attack shook Israel to the core. Canada and the whole world were stunned by the severity of the atrocities committed by Hamas against innocent men, women and children. We condemn these actions.

Israel and Hamas have been at war since October 7. Hamas has continued to indiscriminately launch rockets into Israeli territory. Israeli defence forces undertook a vast campaign of air strikes in the Gaza Strip, in expectation of a terrorist invasion. Israel's objective is to paralyze Hamas once and for all and prevent a new attack of this kind from ever happening again.

Canada is continuing to meet its commitments to its partners in the region and around the world.

We have underscored the fact that we support Israel's right under international law to defend itself against the terrorist acts of Hamas.

Moreover, as we have already stated publicly and privately, it's essential for Israel to be able to defend itself in compliance with rules established by international humanitarian law. The first such rule is the protection of civilians.

The dire humanitarian situation in Gaza remains a significant concern for the Government of Canada. It is estimated that nearly 1.4 million Palestinians, including civilians, have been displaced from their homes in the past two weeks. There were reports, which we cannot independently verify, of more than 4,000 Palestinians killed, including civilians and children. It is imperative that humanitarian access be established so that life-saving assistance reaches civilians who need it most. The decision by Egypt and Israel to allow for initial deliveries of humanitarian assistance over the weekend is a positive first step, but it is clear that more must be done. Canadian officials will continue to call on all parties to ensure access of humanitarian aid to vulnerable Palestinians.

Canada remains one of the largest contributors of humanitarian and development assistance to vulnerable Palestinians, with an average spend of $55 million Canadian per year. Following Minister Hussen's announcement on October 21, Canada's contributions to address the current crisis in Gaza stand at $60 million Canadian.

All of our funding to support Palestinians goes through trusted partner organizations, such as UN agencies. We will support their efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance while ensuring that none of the funding goes into the hands of Hamas. Canada exercises enhanced due diligence for all humanitarian and development assistance funding for Palestinians. This effort includes systematic screening and strong anti-terrorism provisions in our funding agreements.

It is critical here that we emphasize that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people, nor their legitimate aspirations. Hamas is a listed terrorist entity. It has brutally murdered innocent civilians, has chosen to invade Israel and has taken hostages in total violation of all international laws and norms.

Turning briefly to the broader region, it is essential that this conflict not become regionalized and spread to neighbouring areas. In this respect, Iran's rhetoric and support of Hamas, statements by the terrorist group Hezbollah, and the launching of rockets into and towards Israel and American forces by actors affiliated with Iran in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen are all deeply concerning.

Canadian representatives at all levels are continuing to engage with our partners in the region and around the world in dealing with the situation.

Canada remains determined to enforce international law and to support the rights of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security.

Canada will continue to support the right of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples to live in peace and security. We will continue to support a two-state solution as the only viable means to achieve this outcome.

Thank you.

[Julie Sunday, Assistant Deputy Minister, Consular, Security and Emergency Management, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development]

Thank you.

I will be speaking to you today about the consular services being provided to Canadians affected by this crisis.

Since the onset of the crisis, our missions on the ground in Tel Aviv and Ramallah, and more widely throughout the region, have been providing consular services to Canadians. The emergency watch and response centre here in Ottawa operates 24-7 and has responded to over 8,448 inquiries since the beginning of the conflict on October 7.

We immediately surged this team to be able to effectively respond to needs and have had a large team of officers taking calls. For example, in a 24-hour period, we have approximately 100 responders working. We have also deployed approximately 30 members of the standing rapid deployment team to reinforce our missions in Tel Aviv, Ramallah, Athens, Cairo and Beirut, as well as in Cyprus.

These officers are being sent on an emergency basis from Ottawa and our missions in Europe and the region. They are all highly qualified and have been making themselves available for these assignments. We are grateful to them for their efforts, which are often carried out under extremely difficult conditions.

To ensure clear and timely communications during this crisis, we've set up a dedicated web page on GAC's external website. It includes the most up-to-date information. and we've been encouraging everyone to seek details there.

The travel advice and advisory web pages for Israel, Gaza and West Bank, as well as neighbouring countries, are being continually reviewed and updated as needed. For Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, the overall travel advice is to avoid non-essential travel due to the unpredictable security situation.

In addition, there are regional advisories to avoid all travel to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and to borders with Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Strip.

Canadians in that region and neighbouring areas need to register with the Registration of Canadians Abroad service to receive updates.

At the moment, there are approximately 6,000 registered Canadians in Israel, and over 450 registered in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Of these, we are currently assisting 900 Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and their families. Through various forms of communication, including the Registration of Canadians Abroad service, we are in direct contact with those who have been affected.

Global Affairs is providing support to six Canadian families following deaths in the current hostilities, and to the families of two other Canadians who are reported missing.

The Government of Canada's first priority is always the safety and security of its citizens. For this reason, we have not been commenting on or releasing any information that may compromise the ongoing efforts to return these Canadians to safety.

Regarding assisted departures from the region, Global Affairs Canada officials continue to be in regular contact with Canadian citizens and permanent residents who've requested help in leaving Israel, the West Bank or the Gaza Strip.

I'll begin with an update on assisted departures from Israel.

We have thus far helped over 1,600 Canadians, permanent residents and members of their families to leave Israel. By the end of today 19 Canadian Armed Forces flights will have left Tel Aviv for Athens.

As was communicated by Minister Joly on Saturday evening, we have been closely monitoring the demand for flights out of Tel Aviv. Now that many Canadians have successfully left Israel, the demand is decreasing and commercial options are becoming increasingly available. Therefore, the last scheduled assisted-departure flight from Tel Aviv is taking place today. Canadian Armed Forces aircraft will remain in the region on standby to rapidly respond should conditions change.

For the Gaza Strip, the situation remains extremely fluid, and the Rafah border crossing remains closed to foreign nationals seeking to leave.

We are going to continue to communicate directly with Canadians who want to leave the region. We know that they are facing extremely difficult conditions, and we are doing everything we can to support them.

We continue to work around the clock to secure a window for Canadians to exit Gaza. We continue to communicate directly with Canadians, giving them the latest information as it becomes available. We are working hard with our allies, with the UN and governments in the region to ensure that Canadians will be able to take advantage of this window.

We are encouraged that some humanitarian convoys have entered through the crossing. It's an important first step toward the eventual movement of foreign nationals out of the area. Our mission in Cairo continues to engage with Egyptian authorities to ensure that any Canadians can pass through the Rafah crossing and will be transported to Cairo and onward to Canada.

For the assisted-departure options from the West Bank, we've been assisting the departure by land of Canadians, permanent residents and their family members from the West Bank into Jordan. Our mission in Ramallah continues to be in direct contact with all Canadians in the West Bank who are seeking support to leave.

While we are prioritizing Canadians for assisted departures, we are also supporting permanent residents and working to ensure that family units are not separated. When determining the eligibility for assisted departures, we follow the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which defines “family members”. All people looking for this assistance who are in touch with our call centre are made aware of who is eligible under the IRPA.

In the process of preparing for these assisted departures, we have been prioritizing documented and travel-ready passengers, stranded tourists and our most vulnerable clients. Canadians are not being charged for the assisted-departure flights from Israel to Athens or transit from the West Bank into Jordan. However, onward travel and accommodation are at the individual's personal expense.

Finally, I would like to speak briefly about the situation in Lebanon. There continues to be insecurity at the southern border with Israel and, as we saw with protests and violence in Beirut last week, the situation in Lebanon continues to be unstable.

We have now changed our travel advice to advise against all travel to Lebanon. We've amplified this message through social media and direct messages to registered Canadians in Lebanon. Our best advice is that Canadians should not travel to Lebanon for any reason.

For those Canadians who are already in Lebanon, we strongly advise that they seek commercial options to leave as soon as possible.

Whole-of-government planning is actively taking place to prepare for all scenarios. We have also pre-positioned our standing rapid deployment team officers in the region, and the department has stood up an emergency response team specifically focused on contingency planning for Lebanon.

Thank you very much. We'll be pleased to take your questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Thank you very much, Ms. Sunday.

We will now go to the members for questions. For the first round, every member will receive six minutes.

The first member is MP Aboultaif, for six minutes.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

Thank you very much for appearing this morning on the very heartbreaking situation that's taking place in the Middle East. Thanks for the information that you've provided.

First, Ms. Sunday, you mentioned that 8,448 inquiries have been received so far. Do you have a breakdown on these inquiries? Do they come from Gaza, from Ramallah, from Lebanon, from Jordan, or, of course, from inside Israel? If that information is available, we would be happy to receive it.

[Julie Sunday]

I don't have a precise number for you right now, unfortunately, but I would say with confidence that the majority of those inquiries have been from Israel. We have smaller numbers from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, but they're nevertheless significant. We have fewer inquiries from Lebanon, though we do see our registration of Canadians in Lebanon going up slightly.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

Why do you think we're not getting numbers as high as on the Israeli side from Canadians who are in Lebanon and in the other regions?

[Julie Sunday]

I think in part it's the numbers, initially. I think we have fewer Canadians, permanent residents and family members in the West Bank and Gaza who are seeking help. I would say that right now we know this group very well. It's a smaller group. We've been reaching out directly to them by phone and by email to stay in touch and to understand what assistance they require from us.

In Israel the numbers were initially very large, but we've watched those numbers decrease as the situation calms in Israel proper. Those calls are becoming quite reduced. Certainly our numbers of affected persons have significantly decreased. Right now we have just over 150 individuals in Israel who are identifying themselves as affected persons who require support from us. That is a much, much smaller number than we had a week ago.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

Do you know if Internet service is available to people out there? I've been contacted by people who have family out there. They're not necessarily Canadian citizens, but they're family to Canadians. I have received unofficial notes on the number of casualties on the Gaza and Ramallah side who are cousins of Canadians. It's a very high number. It's a very troubling number. I have asked those families whether they've been able to connect with their families or their parents out there. Again, they could be Canadians or non-Canadians.

Is there any information from the ground through our teams on whether Internet service is at least available so that these people can have the chance to connect and report and tell us what's going on and we can know the path forward to be able to save as many lives as we can?

[Julie Sunday]

Thank you for the question.

We have also recognized over the past week, in our calls to individuals in both the West Bank and Gaza, that the telecom situation has been up and down. Sometimes we're able to contact them and sometimes we're not. We've been using email and phone and all methods of communication. It is very challenging in terms of reports of individuals who may have been killed or injured.

Again, we do not have any reports from the Palestinian territories right now, but of course we are available to receive additional information when people have additional information.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

To your knowledge, has the minister or our government made a request to have some of our people there on the ground, whether in Rafah, which is on the southern border with Egypt, or in the north in Ramallah? Has there been any discussion to be able to deploy some of our teams, or maybe some individuals? Was there any negotiated safety zone there so that we could put people on the ground to understand the situation and have the ability to assess the situation properly, rather than leave it up to people to see it on social media and on TV?

[Julie Sunday]

From the perspective of assisting Canadians—and I'll turn it to my colleague on the broader diplomat piece—we have a team in Ramallah, and they are working hard to assist the departure of Canadians, permanent residents and their family members. We have assisted with departures from across the West Bank. We are, I would say, one of the only countries to be doing this as effectively as we are right now.

From that perspective, we have a very good understanding of the context right now in the West Bank and how to help people cross that border into Jordan, with the assistance of our embassy there as well. Both of those teams—our team in Amman and our team in Ramallah—are completely mobilized to help Canadians and their families get across that border.

The Rafah border is a much more complex situation. We are working very closely with all of the regional players—Egypt, the U.S., our Five Eyes partners and of course all who have a stake in that border—to ensure that when that border opens, Canadians, their families and permanent residents are able to have onward safe passage to Canada.

We are working all angles on that very issue, and we are deeply engaged with all who can help facilitate that movement. It will be a multinational movement in terms of the Gaza situation.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Thank you.

We will next go to MP Chatel.

You have six minutes.

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

People in my riding are very worried and feel powerless. As a mother, I'm also very concerned about the circumstances of children affected by this horrible conflict. The children and families of people in Gaza are almost out of food, water, electricity and medical supplies. Israeli children are being held hostage and must be returned to their families.

Canadians agree on one thing: and that is that it's absolutely essential to provide humanitarian aid. It's true that Canada has committed $60 million for humanitarian aid, but based on what we can see on TV, aid is only trickling in.

Can you explain to Canadians what is preventing humanitarian aid from reaching those who need it most? They don't understand the difference, technically speaking, between a ceasefire and a cessation of hostilities. The process of providing humanitarian aid has to be safe for humanitarian workers, and the lives of civilians need to be protected.

[Ann Flanagan Whalen]

Thank you for that question.

The government is also concerned about the impact of this conflict on innocent civilians, including children, and about protecting them. Our priority is to keep people informed of what we can do. With a contribution of $60 million so far, we are among the major contributors.

We are still working with reliable partners to obtain aid, particularly for women, families and children. That's a part of our humanitarian aid philosophy. We are working with organizations that will be providing assistance to these people. Given the context of this conflict, that is clearly a difficult task.

There are a number of proposals out there: ceasefire, humanitarian corridor, safe zones—a range of things. The Government of Canada is advocating humanitarian access at this point. We will continue to call upon all parties to respect international humanitarian law and to ensure that this aid can be delivered.

There are a great many enjeux working their way out in the region right now in terms of access for humanitarian assistance to go in through the Rafah crossing and for access out for internationals through the Rafah crossing. Some of the parties are putting those two things next to one another and putting on conditions one way or the other.

As of this morning, the first 34 trucks of humanitarian assistance have passed through the Rafah border. It is important that it be delivered, and we will continue to deliver that message.

I will stop there.

I'll be happy to take other questions.

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Thank you.

People in my riding, and Canadians generally, often raise the issue of access to water. It's absolutely essential; a family can't live without water for very long.

Over a million children are being deprived of water. Why don't they have access? What can we do do help with this situation?

Can you give us any further details about it?

[Ann Flanagan Whalen]

What makes the situation so difficult in Gaza is that fuel is needed to purify water, and we don't have any at the moment.

We are working with our partners in the region, with the Egyptian government, with the Israeli government, with international organizations and with other key partners internationally to impress on the parties to this conflict the need to be able to get life-saving humanitarian access in, including access to water. That would include starting up again the capacity of Gaza to produce purified water as well as bringing in tanks of water, which is one of the efforts that's being made by humanitarian organizations now at Rafah.

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Thank you very much, MP Chatel.

We now go to MP Garon. You have six minutes.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to thank the witnesses who are here with us today.

On October 18, the Secretary-General of the UN, Mr. Guterrez, called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Middle East to "ease the epic human suffering" resulting from the conflict.

I would like to know what the Government of Canada's position is on a possible humanitarian ceasefire. Have there been any conversations about this with Israeli representatives?

[Ann Flanagan Whalen]

As I mentioned earlier, various proposals are being looked at, including humanitarian corridors and a ceasefire.

We will call upon all parties to continue to respect international humanitarian law. We will call upon all parties to protect civilians. We are deeply concerned, evidently, about the humanitarian situation in this region. Our priority is ensuring that humanitarian assistance can reach those in need. Those are the conversations that we are party to right now.

We think we need to make it clear that Israel, following this horrible terrorist attack, has the right to defend itself according to the principles of international law. That is central for us as well, and we are profoundly preoccupied with Israel's security in the region. Without security for Israel, there is no sustainable peace in this region either.

We need to continue to impress on the players of the region the need for respect for international humanitarian law and for humanitarian access, and that will continue to be the conversation.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Thank you very much.

In international law, the first rule is to protect civilians. In fact you mentioned this in your opening address.

At the moment, Israel's blockade is preventing the delivery of essential goods. This is causing all kinds problems: there are shortages of the fuel needed to purify water, in addition to medical supplies, food, electricity, and many other essentials. The situation is worsening and NGOs are alerting governments about the impact this situation might have on civilians. I'm thinking of things like disease transmission.

According to the UN, "[w]ar crimes are those violations of international humanitarian law (treaty or customary law) that incur individual criminal responsibility under international law".

According to you, and according to the Government of Canada, is the current blockade a violation of international law?

[Ann Flanagan Whalen]

I'm not in a position to assess whether this is a violation of international humanitarian law. We do have grave concern for the deteriorating conditions in Gaza. We feel it is our place, alongside our partners in the international community, to continue to raise the message of the need to protect civilians and the need to respect and uphold the principles of international law. ThePrime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs have spoken publicly about the need to respect the laws of war. Even war has rules.

We will continue to make that message known from our perspective. We will continue to have those diplomatic conversations and we will continue to call on all parties to facilitate access for those in need, as well as to make the point ourselves about the importance of our contributions, hoping that this can spur others to increase their contributions, given the gravity of—

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Canada has not yet taken an official position on the status of this blockade with respect to international law.

Is that correct?

[Ann Flanagan Whalen]

Canada has not taken a position on that. We're not in a position to determine that.