Foreign Affairs has confirmed that three Canadian citizens have been detained in Israel after military commandoes raided a convoy of ships taking aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip.
Ambra Dickie, a spokesperson for the ministry, said officials are working with authorities in Israel and the Canadian citizens will be provided with consular assistance.
The department is not releasing the names of the people being detained due to the Privacy Act, Dickie said.
However, the daughter of 53-year-old Victoria, B.C. resident Kevin Neish, identified him as one of the three Canadians detained, and said he should be on his way home soon.
Jennifer Neish told The Canadian Press that Foreign Affairs confirmed her father is alive and well and will be deported from Israel within 72 hours.
Carlos Flores, a friend of Neish, said earlier on Tuesday that no one had heard from him since the Israeli raid.
"We are very worried about Kevin. We don't know if he is alive or wounded or has been arrested," he told CTV's Canada AM early Tuesday morning.
Flores said Neish, a retired marine engineer, was to act as an "unarmed bodyguard" for journalists aboard one of the six vessels on the humanitarian mission.
Neish is a human rights activist who has assisted in similar missions in other countries, Flores said.
At least nine pro-Palestinian activists aboard the convoy of vessels were killed in Monday morning's raid.
