Families of Canadian military personnel laid to rest in Gaza are urging the government to take stronger measures to safeguard their loved ones’ graves. They are advocating for the repatriation of the soldiers, the final Canadian troops interred abroad, from a cemetery in Gaza City that has faced repeated damage by the Israel Defense Forces.
The Gaza War Cemetery in the Tuffah district holds the remains of twenty-two Canadians who perished during the United Nations’ initial significant peacekeeping mission following the Israeli incursion into Egypt in 1956. Aerial imagery scrutinized by CBC’s visual investigations team reveals a pattern of destruction at the site, including the destruction of headstones, construction of barriers using heavy machinery, and detonation of explosives causing a section of the Canadian peacekeeper section to be blasted into the air.
Relatives of soldiers buried in that section, such as the sisters of Paul Picard from Quebec and Adriaan Bons from Ontario, expressed distress over the condition of their brothers’ resting places. Lia Bons remarked on the disappearance of headstones and the devastation that has befallen the cemetery, lamenting the obliteration of the sacred space.
Marguerite Picard expressed her desire to relocate her brother alongside their parents, emphasizing the family’s wish for his repatriation. CBC News sought clarification from the Israel Defense Forces regarding the cemetery’s status and was directed to an officer from the 401st Brigade Combat Team, who mentioned the destruction of a tunnel beneath the cemetery without precautions to safeguard the fallen soldiers’ remains.
Recent satellite images indicate ongoing damage to the site, with the archway to the Canadian plot apparently destroyed in April 2026. The lack of access to the Gaza War Cemetery hampers a comprehensive assessment of the situation, hindering necessary investigations and interventions. Canadian authorities are in contact with relevant entities to address the concerns raised by the families and ensure the preservation of historical and memorial sites dedicated to those who served.
