The federal government is urging Canadians in Lebanon to leave the country while they can, warning that the security situation is becoming “increasingly volatile and unpredictable” as violence between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah increases.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Tuesday the situation could deteriorate further without warning, leaving Canadians unable to leave the Middle Eastern country or access consular services.
“My message to Canadians has been clear since the beginning of the crisis in the Middle East: now is not the time to travel to Lebanon,” Joly said in a statement. “And for Canadians currently in Lebanon, it’s time to leave, while commercial flights are still available.”
Joly said Canada does not currently offer assisted departures or evacuations from Lebanon, “and these are not guaranteed.”
Canadians in Lebanon should register with Global Affairs Canada and ensure their travel documents are up to date, he added.
Tuesday’s warning comes as the prospect of a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah has become more acute.
This is a location map of Lebanon with its capital, Beirut. (AP Photo).
Iran-backed Hezbollah began attacking Israel almost immediately after the Oct. 7 Hamas cross-border attack that triggered Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire almost every day since then, but the fighting has intensified in recent weeks.
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Hezbollah has more advanced military capabilities than Hamas, and opening a new front would increase the risk of a broader, regional war involving other Iranian proxies and perhaps Iran itself, which could cause serious damage and mass casualties on both sides. of the border.
Hezbollah has said it will continue fighting Israel until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza. The group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, warned Israel last week against launching a war, saying Hezbollah has new weapons and intelligence capabilities that could help it attack more critical positions inside Israel.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not accept any deal that ends the Gaza conflict before Hamas is “eliminated,” jeopardizing a ceasefire proposal backed by the United States and the Security Council. of the United Nations.
Netanyahu said Sunday in a lengthy television interview with Israel’s Channel 14, a pro-Netanyahu television channel, that Israel was ending the current phase of fighting in Gaza, allowing more troops to relocate to the north to confront Hezbollah.
“We will have the possibility to transfer some of our forces to the north, and we will do that,” he said. “First of all, for defense,” he added, but also to allow tens of thousands of displaced Israelis to return to their homes.
Netanyahu said he hoped a diplomatic solution to the crisis could be found, but promised to resolve the issue “in a different way” if necessary.
“We can fight on several fronts and we are prepared to do so,” he said.
White House envoy Amos Hochstein was in the region last week meeting with officials from Israel and Lebanon in an effort to reduce tensions. But the fighting has continued.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday at the start of his meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at the Pentagon that the United States will continue to seek a diplomatic solution to the hostilities, warning that a war between Hezbollah and Israel would be catastrophic.
“Hezbollah’s provocations threaten to drag the Israeli and Lebanese people into a war they do not want. Such a war would be a catastrophe for Lebanon and would be devastating for innocent Israeli and Lebanese civilians,” Austin said.
“Diplomacy is by far the best way to avoid further escalation. “That is why we are urgently seeking a diplomatic agreement that will restore lasting calm to Israel’s northern border and allow civilians to safely return to their homes on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border.”
Austin said more than 60,000 Israelis have been displaced from their homes by Hezbollah rocket attacks.
Asked Tuesday about the Canadian warning, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said travel advice for Americans in Lebanon remains the same.
The department’s current advisory, which was last updated in January, says U.S. citizens are “strongly urged” to avoid travel to southern Lebanon “due to the potential for armed conflict.”
“It’s always something we review and update based on issues on the ground, but (the advice) hasn’t changed,” Miller said in a briefing with reporters.
– with files from The Associated Press and Reuters
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