Families of Canadian soldiers laid to rest in Gaza are seeking increased government efforts to safeguard their loved ones’ final resting places. They are advocating for the repatriation of the soldiers, the last Canadians interred abroad, from the Gaza War Cemetery, which has suffered repeated damage by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Twenty-two Canadian soldiers are buried in the Gaza War Cemetery in Gaza City’s Tuffah district, having lost their lives during the UN’s inaugural major peacekeeping mission following the 1956 Israeli invasion of Egypt. Aerial images analyzed by CBC’s visual investigations team reveal the IDF’s destruction of headstones, construction of berms, parking of military vehicles, and detonation of explosives that resulted in part of the Canadian peacekeeper section being blown up.
Relatives of soldiers buried in the plot, such as the sisters of Paul Picard from Quebec and Adriaan Bons from Ontario, expressed distress over the desecration of their brothers’ graves. Lia Bons, after witnessing the transformed site, lamented the disappearance of headstones and the overall devastation, emphasizing the absence of any recognizable structures.
Marguerite Picard expressed her desire to have her brother reinterred next to their parents, expressing confidence that their parents would prefer him to be repatriated. CBC News contacted the IDF, who explained that the excavation conducted at the cemetery was to destroy a tunnel and that no precautionary measures were taken to protect the soldiers’ remains.
Recent satellite images indicate ongoing damage to the cemetery by the IDF. The destruction has extended to the Canadian plot’s archway, which was previously damaged in the August 2025 explosion. Canadian authorities have not been able to assess the situation due to restricted access, hindering forensic evaluations and timelines.
Efforts to engage with Israeli officials have not been disclosed by Canadian authorities. Global Affairs Canada expressed deep concern over the reported damage to the Gaza War Cemetery and stressed the importance of preserving historical and memorial sites honoring those who served. The department has been in contact with local authorities but did not specify further details.