Canada has announced temporary immigration programs for relatives of Canadian citizens and permanent residents affected by the Gaza bombardment, but warned leaving the region would be difficult and dependent on approval by Israel.

The measures include an expansion of an eligibility criterion Canada has been using to extract citizens, permanent residents, and their immediate family members from the region, Immigration Minister Marc Miller told a media conference.

“This … allows us a greater set of people that may not be permanent residents or Canadians but for all intents and purposes represent the family of people that are close to Canadians,” Miller said.

He said hundreds of people could benefit from the program. As of Dec 3 more than 600 people evacuated from Gaza had come to Canada, the government said.

Family members including common-law partner, siblings, grandchildren, and grandparents would be able to apply to come under a special program, and after checks, they could qualify to live in Canada for three years, Reuters reports.

The measures also include a study or work permit program for Israelis and Palestinians already in Canada and for family members of citizens and permanent residents who have left the region since Oct. 7.