For Canadians stuck in Gaza, agonizing uncertainty around closed border crossing

For hours on Monday, dozens of families on the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing waited for someone to open a chain-link fence so they could cross into Egypt as they believed they'd been promised. Many parents had spent three days waiting with their young childrenfor the chance to escape the territory.

"We have no idea what to do," said Asia Mathhour, a Canadian citizen stuck inGaza with her husband and their two young children.

"We don't feel safe. We live in avery crowded neighbourhood, a refugee camp, and we'reactually scared because they are bombing really close to us," she said. "A bomb could drop near us any minute and we could be collateral damage."

Mathhour and her family were among hundreds of Canadians stuck in Gaza and the West Bank as the war between Israel and Gaza stretchedinto its 10thday. Many had hoped to get out through Rafah,the only pathout of Gaza that is not controlled by Israel, only to learn a rumoured ceasefire to open the border wasn't happening.

"We're just waiting for a glimpse of hope for us to leave," said Mo Nasser, another Canadian who had planned to leave Gazathrough Rafah on Monday.

"We're waiting for someone to tell us it's OKto cross, otherwise we have nowhere to go."

WATCH | AUN agency providingaid to Palestinians says supplies are dwindling in Gaza underIsrael's escalated siege:

Supplies for people in Gaza 'running out fast'

8 months ago

Duration 2:48

Juliette Touma, director of communications at a UN agency that provides aid to Palestinians, says the siege on the Gaza Strip has caused desperation and frustration as aid supplies are 'running out fast.'

Thousands of people werestuck at the blocked crossing with Egypt on Mondayhaving heard claims they might be able to leave under a truce to bring in humanitarian aid and send civilians out. IsraelPrime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu said later Mondaythere had been no such deal.

Hundreds of trucks with critical food, fuel and other humanitarian aid are stuck on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border.

Speaking from Khan Younis in southern Gaza, Nasser said supermarket shelves and gas stations have been dwindling as Israel continues its airstrikesin retaliation for Hamas's deadly invasion last week. Hospitals in Gaza also faced collapse Monday as water, power and medicine supplies ran low, according to the United Nations.

"It's unthinkablewhat's going on here," Nasser said. "People don't know where to go or what to do."

Hundreds of Canadians need assistance to leave, Ottawa says

With Israel planning a ground invasion of Gaza, Canadian officials are working to help as many as 300 Canadian citizens and permanent residents out of the territory. Another 250 Canadians need support to leave the West Bank, a Palestinian territoryIsrael has occupied since 1967.

On Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister Mlanie Joly said 21 Canadians and foreign nationals took a bus out of the West Bank into neighbouring Jordan.

For Canadians with family in Gaza, the emotions areoverwhelming.

"As I'm speaking to you at this moment, I don't know if they're alive or not," said Rani Hemaid, whose mother, father, grandfather, brother, sister-in-law and five nieces are all stuck in Gaza.

Hemaid moved to Hamilton, Ont.,after the 51-day 2014 Gaza war. He said he has contacted federal and consular officials to help his family to Canada,but hasn't had luck because they are not citizens or permanent residents.

He said his parents and grandfather were separated from his siblings and nieces as they tried to escape this week news that broughtup an unbearable memory from his experience during the last conflict.

"I remember me and my siblings and my parents laying on the floor, watching fire from the bombings. There was a wish for me at that moment: 'God please, if a bomb hits this place right now, please [let] no one survive," he said.

"I saw several stories in Gaza that an entire family was killed in a bomb and there is one person surviving.... I don't want any of my siblings, my mom or my dad to be that person," he continued.

"If that happens, I just want all [of us] to die together.This is the wish of the people in Gaza."

Long-simmering tensions in the regionexplodedwhen Hamas fighters stormed into Israel from Gaza, killing hundreds of civilians and taking more than 150 people hostage on Oct. 7.

Israel responded to the assault by attacking Gaza, which has been controlled by Hamas since 2007. Israel's complete siege has cutoff food, water and electricity to 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, one of the most densely populated and impoverished territories in the world.

More than 4,000 people have been killed on both sides in the last 10 days.