麻豆影视

Canada

    • Exorbitant fees get Gazans out with no help from Ottawa

    Share

    The comforting sound of giggling grandchildren has chased away the cloud of anxiety that has loomed over Mohammed and Intisar Nofal's home for the past seven months.

    Since Israel launched a war on last October in retaliation for the Hamas attacks, the retired couple has been determined to get their son Amjad, 43, and his family out of the devastated region. They were only able to do so after taking matters into their hands by travelling to Egypt and paying exorbitant fees.

    Of the Nofal鈥檚 seven children, all live in Canada except for Amjad, who remained in northern Gaza. Amjad was a teacher and the caretaker of the family farm where he lived with his wife and four children.

    "We really feel like the government is not going to do anything. We were desperate and running out of time," said Mohammed, 74, in an interview with CTV National News at his home in Burlington, Ont. His daughter, Wesam, sat beside to helped translate from Arabic to English.

    "We know the ins and outs of Egypt and heard about a system of fees," Mohammed said.

    "I would call them bribes," Wesam clarifies.

    A system of 'bribes鈥

    Wesam explained that her parents flew to Cairo in February and contacted a company called "Hala" that offers "travel co-ordination" services from Gaza. The company charged US$5,000 per adult or teenager, and US$1,000 per child. Hala鈥檚 services included getting their names on an approved list at Rafah Gate, the main border crossing in southern Gaza controlled by Egypt on one side and Israel on the other.

    She said her parents paid US$28,000 (approximately $38,000) in fees to Hala to get Amjad鈥檚 family to safety.

    Around the same time in February, Immigration Minister Marc Miller called the containment of Palestinians in Gaza "the largest hostage taking" in the world.

    His comments came after a meeting with Israel's ambassador to Canada where Miller asked Iddo Moed for help in getting Canadians out of Gaza.

    Control of Rafah Gate

    On Monday, Miller acknowledged "that Canada has not, nor will ever control the comings and goings at Rafah Gate," even as he announced that Ottawa would increase the number of temporary resident visas to Gazans with relatives in Canada. The cap has now been increased to 5,000, up from the previous 1,000-visa limit announced in January.

    However, the Nofals frustration with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) began months earlier.

    In October, during the early days of the war, consular officials told Mohammed that his grandchildren were eligible for evacuation flights. Then GAC rescinded the offer blaming a bureaucratic error that misidentified his grandchildren as living in Israel. A victim of false hope, Nofal then sued in federal court, alleging discrimination to force the government to rescue his family.

    In addition to the lawsuit, they also lobbied members of Parliament, participated in demonstrations, and applied for special visas. But there was no progress until they reached out to the Egyptian brokerage for help.

    It took more than a month after the Nofals paid the fees in February for their son's name to be put on the exit list. In that time, mass starvation turned into widespread famine. Gazans were shot by Israeli forces as they crowded around a convoy of trucks carrying food and water.

    Displaced Palestinians inspect their tents destroyed by Israel's bombardment, adjunct to an UNRWA facility west of Rafah city, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (Jehad Alshrafi / AP Photo)

    Amjad told his sister he saw desperate people pry bags of flour from the hands of injured civilians.

    "He told me if you want to see hell that鈥檚 created by humans, go to Gaza,鈥 Wesam said after her brother told her the images seared in his memory.

    While they waited for their son, Mohammad was hospitalized for a stroke while Intisar was hospitalized for a panic attack. Then the news came that Amjad, his wife Hayat and their children, ages seven to 17, were approved to cross the tightly controlled border on March 25 just as Israel increased its threats to send ground forces into Rafah, where 1.2 million displaced Gazans were seeking refuge.

    Hala staff put Amjad鈥檚 family of two adults, two teens and two children onto a shuttle bus and transported them from Rafah to Cairo where his mother was waiting with outstretched arms

    Intisar, 66, was so happy to see her son alive, she fainted after embracing him.

    Now that they were out of Gaza, Amjad鈥檚 family could complete the final stages of the temporary visa process and get vetted by immigration officials. It would take six more weeks before Canada issued them temporary visas so the group could travel to Ontario.

    "We had so many people help us -- Jewish, Palestinian, Muslim friends. Maybe Canada can start a sponsorship program to help Gazans," Wesam said. 

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.

    Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

    Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

    • LIVE

      LIVE

      Thousands of people are gathered in downtown Vancouver to observe the city鈥檚 100th Remembrance Day ceremony.

    • A suspect was arrested for allegedly brandishing a knife outside a Vancouver elementary school on Friday 鈥 just as the young students were heading home for the day.

    • The federal government is urging both sides in the British Columbia port dispute to return to the table after mediated talks broke off on Saturday, the first of three scheduled days.

    • Several hundred people gathered outside the Ontario legislature in Toronto to honour veterans and remember those who died fighting for their country.

    • Toronto is expected to see an economic boost to the tune of nearly $300 million thanks to Taylor Swift鈥檚 upcoming Eras Tour, which will be making a stop in Canada鈥檚 largest city for a six-show run later this month.

    • A man believed to be in his 40s has been rushed to a trauma centre following a stabbing in downtown Toronto.

    • Calgarians will be observing Remembrance Day at a number of different ceremonies across the city, including at the Hangar Flight Museum.

    • July 2025 may seem like it鈥檚 in the distant future, but for the St. Luke playground committee time is ticking to fundraise the $340,000 they still need to build a new playground.

    • Getting out to the mountains is even easier with a new bus route from a growing Germany-based service.

    • Crowds gathered in Ottawa and eastern Ontario on Monday to honour the sacrifice of men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service of Canada.

    • The Fleet Street Pumping station is Ottawa's oldest water facility. Up to two-thirds of the city's water supply can move through it,

    • The company confirms it will open the new Chipotle at 5671 Hazeldean Road on Thursday, in the former location of Benny & Co.

    • A 36-year-old Montreal man who was out on bail after allegedly uttering death threats to a woman is now accused of murdering her on the South Shore.

    • With fewer interments and rising maintenance fees, the money for Canada's largest military cemetery will run out in three to four years.

    • Montreal Metro passengers can now flag a safety concern by texting a new phone number launched by the STM.

    • A member of Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Edmonton participated in the national Remembrance Day Ceremony in Ottawa on Monday.

    • WEATHER

      WEATHER

      This is shaping up to be one of the warmest Remembrance Days in the past decade, at least, for temperatures.

    • Thousands of Maritimers turned out in wet weather Monday to remember those who have served, and continue to serve, in Canada's armed forces for Remembrance Day.

    • A Cape Breton senior recalls her life in German-occupied France, and her mother鈥檚 death, during the Second World War.

    • Thousand of people gathered at the Menin Gate in the Ypres, Belgium for Monday鈥檚 Remembrance Day Ceremony.

    • Remembrance Day is today, and a number of ceremonies are taking place around the province to honour those who gave their lives to serve our country.

    • A pillar in Canada鈥檚 history was honoured in Winnipeg Sunday afternoon, with thousands showing up to pay tribute to the life and legacy of the late Murray Sinclair.

    • One Manitoba veteran is on a mission to commemorate and honour those who served our country, and not just on Remembrance Day.

    • There will be two ceremonies taking place in Regina for Remembrance Day, hosted by the Royal Canadian Legion.

    • Fire crews reported that no one was hurt after flames broke out in a home on Robinson Street in central Regina.

    • Regina author Valerie Crowther is celebrating the release of her book 鈥榃ar Letters: Linking Lives in the Second World War.鈥

    • Saskatchewan RCMP are searching for a suspect after a man was seriously injured in a farm-related incident in Montreal Lake.

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • The Regina Rams claimed the Hardy Cup after a hard fought battle against the Saskatoon Huskies 19-14 on Saturday in the first all Saskatchewan U-Sports western conference final since 2002.

    • Emergency crews responded to the scene on Road 68/Highway 2 east of Thamesford around 7 p.m.

    • The events will start at 10:15 a.m. with a parade that forms up in front of the Delta London Armories, marches east on Dundas Street and turns north onto Waterloo Street to Dufferin Avenue, the west to the Cenotaph.

    • A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.

    • A Barrie man is at the centre of an alleged $2.2 million stolen used car scheme.

    • The 75th anniversary of the Barrie Santa Claus Parade will feature floats, live entertainment, and new attractions, including Santa鈥檚 Fireside Gathering.

    • Environment Canada issued a weather alert for Barrie, Collingwood and surrounding areas, alerting residents about the wicked winds that are expected to pick up to 80 kilometres per hour in the afternoon hours.

    • Representatives of the Windsor Veterans Memorial Services Committee, military representatives, wreath bearers, government officials, and members of the public will attend the Cenotaph at City Hall Square for the outdoor service.

    • Windsor Paralympic champion, Danielle Campo, has been crowned the number one Inspirational Speaker of the Year for 2024 at the Inspirational Speaking Finals.

    • One person has been arrested after Chatham-Kent Police Service (CKPS) received multiple complaints about an alleged drunk driver.

    • Environment Canada says heavy rain and winds could cause power outages on Vancouver Island as an "intense" storm system is set to hit the B.C. coast Sunday.

    • Six deer were struck by vehicles in six different locations in a six-hour period on B.C. highways on Saturday, according to the transportation ministry.

    • The union for locked-out port workers in British Columbia says the BC Maritime Employers Association cut off talks in less than an hour Saturday, refusing to budge on a final offer that the union has so far rejected.

    • The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.

    • Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.

    • More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.

    • The Southern Alberta Recreation Association is officially announcing the Town of Taber as next year鈥檚 host for the Southern Alberta Summer Games.

    • The Lethbridge Hurricanes broke open a close game with three goals in the first two minutes of the third period as they defeated the Warriors 7-3 in a game played Friday night in Moose Jaw.

    • There might not a lot snow just yet, but many southern Albertans are still itching to get outdoors.

    • It was just days before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down when the Shaft Bottom Boys of Sudbury broke a world record for 'Deepest Concert Underground.' Now, more than four years later, a Timmins band is looking to take the title.

    • Police say that a 16-year-old was attacked with a sword Nov. 3 in Cobalt, Ont., in a case of intimate partner violence.

    • Police have arrested a 15-year-old in connection with a break-in and $50,000 in damage done to the Centennial Arena in Elliot Lake in September.

    N.L.

    Local Spotlight

    For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

    Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

    A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

    As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

    A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

    A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

    Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

    A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

    Politics

    • Murray Sinclair鈥檚 family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.

    • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale鈥擫angley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    • The Edmonton Oilers may have found the break they were looking for.

    • Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, Colorado Avalanche centre Nathan MacKinnon and Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen have been named the NHL's three stars of the week.

    Autos

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 麻豆影视. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 麻豆影视