Murray Wood: Airlines finding new and exciting ways to fleece flyers
Murray Wood says WestJet's plan to charge travellers for the privilege of reclining their seats is just the latest examp...
Global Affairs Canada says it is aware that two Canadian citizens have been detained in Israel following their involvement in a flotilla to Gaza.
The Global Sumud Flotilla is a pro-Palestinian fleet of boats aiming to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Read more:
- Journalists work in dire conditions to tell Gaza’s story
- Canada says Israel’s ‘horrific’ Gaza City offensive puts hostages in greater danger
- Election in 2026 impossible if Gaza war persists: Palestinian Authority
Global Affairs Canada did not identify the detained Canadians or disclose if there are others involved, stating no further information can be shared due to privacy laws.
The agency says that consular officials are in touch with local authorities and are providing assistance to those that request it.
The flotilla includes lawyers, activists and doctors, including Montreal-based epidemiologist and former NDP candidate Nima Machouf.
Activists with the flotilla have said multiple boats in the fleet have been intercepted by Israeli forces over the past few days.
The flotilla is carrying food, water and medicine. Activists on board have demanded safe passage to deliver the much-needed aid and the opening of a humanitarian sea corridor, according to a statement.
The almost 23-month war in Gaza has killed more than 63,000 people, with at least 332 Palestinians dying of malnutrition, including 124 children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The maritime convoy with delegations from 44 countries is claimed to be the largest attempt to date to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip by sea, which has now lasted 18 years.
Israel has recently stepped up its offensive on Gaza City, limiting the deliveries of food and basic supplies in the north of the Palestinian territory. Food experts warned in August that the city was in famine and that half a million people across the strip were facing catastrophic levels of hunger.
“The story here is about Palestine. The story here is how people are being deliberately deprived of the very basic means to survive,” said Swedish activist Greta Thunberg at a news conference at the launch of the flotilla in Barcelona at the end of August.
She is one of the most recognizable figures on the expedition.
— with files by Associated Press
Read more:
