Canadian reported missing in Gaza makes contact with family, posts video online

A spokeswoman for the household of a Palestinian Canadian who was reported lacking within the Gaza Strip says he has made contact together with his family members.

Zaheera Soomar says Mansour Shouman was documenting the humanitarian disaster within the Palestinian enclave amid the continued Israel-Hamas battle when he misplaced contact together with his mom, spouse and colleagues in Abu Dhabi and Canada on Jan. 21.

Global Affairs Canada confirmed a couple of days later that it was conscious of a Canadian lacking in Gaza.

Soomar, who’s in Toronto, says Shouman bought in contact together with his household and the staff supporting his work on Monday and is doing OK.

She says he has since posted a video of himself on-line, saying he has been within the southern Gaza metropolis of Khan Younis after escaping a number of bouts of preventing associated to the battle.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says she noticed the great news about Shouman being alive and hopes to talk with his mom quickly.

In the video posted on-line, Shouman is seen saying he left his telephone behind whereas heading out to examine on a challenge with others. He mentioned he then turned caught up in a collection of assaults, throughout which he took shelter in a number of areas, and is now again at a hospital complicated in Khan Younis.

“For the last two weeks, we have been going from house to house throughout (the) west of Khan Younis,” he mentioned within the video. “We never left Khan Younis, we never thought of leaving Khan Younis.”

Shouman beforehand did oil and fuel consulting work in Calgary and is the daddy of 5 kids who left Gaza together with his spouse late final 12 months.

He has gained consideration for the movies and messages he posts on his social media platforms, documenting the battle that started on Oct. 7.

In Toronto, Soomar, who’s a member of a staff supporting Shouman, mentioned his family members are relieved to have heard from him.

“We’re kind of comforted, and we’re happy he has made contact but we also continue to be worried about his safety and what happens next,” Soomar mentioned.

“There’s a lot of decisions that need to be made between his mother, his wife and him and so we just want to respect that.”

Gaza has been underneath fixed bombardment as Israel retaliates in opposition to Hamas, which controls the territory, for a brutal assault on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 individuals and noticed one other 250 taken hostage.

Amid a large army response from Israel, the Hamas-run well being ministry says greater than 27,478 individuals have been killed, together with militants.