OTTAWA – With tensions rising between Israel and Hezbollah, the government again told Canadians in Lebanon to get out of the country and warned that a government-sponsored evacuation is not a guarantee.
On Saturday, a rocket slammed into a soccer field in the Golan Heights area killing 12 children. Israeli officials blamed Hezbollah for the attack, but the terrorist group denied responsibility. Israel launched an attack Tuesday killing a senior Hezbollah commander in a suburb of Beirut.
Hezbollah has attacked Israel repeatedly both before and since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, but there are now fears of a wider war, similar to what happened in 2006 when 15,000 Canadians required government assistance to leave the country.
Charlotte MacLeod, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, stressed Canadians should leave the country now, while airports are still open.
“Global Affairs Canada continues to advise Canadians to avoid all travel to Lebanon due to the deteriorating security situation, the continued risk of terrorist attacks, and the ongoing armed conflict with Israel,” she said in an email to the National Post.
“Canadians in Lebanon should leave now by commercial means if they can do so safely. They should also ensure their travel documents, and those of their spouse and children, are up to date and secure.”
The evacuation in 2006 cost almost $100 million and involved the lease of multiple ships as well as Canadian military assets. People fleeing Lebanon were taken to Cyprus and were then responsible for their travel from there.
General Wayne Eyre, Canada’s outgoing chief of the defence staff, confirmed in June that the military was involved in planning for an evacuation.
Alex Tétreault, a spokesperson for the defence department, confirmed that work is ongoing.
“The Canadian Armed Forces is in continual contact with our Government of Canada partners, as well as with allies and like-minded nations, monitoring the global landscape to maintain awareness of upcoming threats that may result in requests to support Canadians,” he said in an email. “In support of Global Affairs Canada, CAF personnel are currently assisting the Canadian embassy in Lebanon with contingency planning.”
MacLeod said there are currently just over 21,000 Canadians registered as living in Lebanon, but that is likely an undercount because registration is voluntary. She stressed Canadians should not assume the government will be able to get them out in the event of a broader war.
“There is never a guarantee the Canadian government will evacuate Canadians in a crisis situation. Canadians should not rely on the Government of Canada for assisted departure or evacuation,” she said. “Government-assisted evacuations from a foreign country are an option of last resort, when all means of personal and commercial transportation have been exhausted, and the safety and security of its citizens is compromised.”
Canada’s travel advice for Lebanon has warned Canadians not to travel to the country and consider leaving since last October.
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