Sixth Canadian dead in wake of Hamas attack in Israel
Posted October 17, 2023 9:59 am.
Last Updated October 17, 2023 4:55 pm.
The federal government says a young woman believed to have been taken hostage during the Hamas attack in Israel more than a week ago is the sixth Canadian death in the war.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly confirmed the death while speaking to reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday morning.
“We’re now at six confirmed deaths and two missing Canadians,” Joly said.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) says the family of Tiferet Lapidot has asked that her death be shared with the media. They describe her as an Israeli woman with Canadian parents.
The centre says the 22-year-old attended the Supernova music festival and was reportedly kidnapped by Hamas militants during the surprise attack on Oct. 7.
“She called her mother during the Hamas attack explaining that there was a terror attack that was taking place and that she was hiding in the bushes with a friend,” reads a post by CIJA on X. “She said that a vehicle was coming forward and she had to stop talking.”
At least 260 people were killed at the music festival as militants stormed into Israel from the nearby Gaza border.
Joly offered condolences to the family and says she met with the victim’s father and uncle during her trip to Tel Aviv.
“They told me how much she was a brilliant, beautiful young woman, and my heart and my thoughts are with her loved ones,” she said.
Lapidot’s aunt Galit Goren spoke with Breakfast Television on Monday. She confirmed her body was found in Israel but they did not know the exact location.
Another five Canadians have been confirmed dead and two others remain missing since militants stormed into Israel from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. The federal government says more than 10 Canadian Armed Forces flights have left Tel Aviv so far with more than 1,300 passengers on board.
The federal government said Monday, in addition to the flights leaving for Greece from Israel, it has evacuated some Canadians by bus from the occupied West Bank. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly confirmed the first group of Canadians had crossed safely into neighbouring Jordan.
Calls continue to grow louder for the Canada to demand a humanitarian corridor to allow foreigners to leave Gaza as the situation their worsens. There are currently around 300 Canadian Citizens, permanent residents and their families in Gaza who have registered with the Canadian government for assistance.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday called on Hamas to immediately release hostages in Gaza. Canadian officials have declined to provide details about any potential hostages, warning that doing so could affect their safety
Both sides of the war have reported more than 4,000 dead since fighting began more than a week ago. The death toll is expected to rise further as Israel prepares for a seemingly imminent ground attack in Gaza.
Officials from Global Affairs Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Department of National Defence are expected to provide an update on the situation in the region on Tuesday afternoon.
With files from The Canadian Press
