The Canadian Armed Forces is changing its posture and increasing troops in the Middle East to give the government more flexibility — including the ability to move quickly if an evacuation is ordered for citizens in Lebanon, Global News has learned.
Canada’s plan has been ready for months and some assets have been prepositioned. But on Wednesday night, troops received a warning order to be ready to leave Canada in 48 hours.
The timing has less to do with the situation on the ground and more to prepare for what will be a highly complex operation if it goes ahead, sources said.
Canada and Australia have jointly rented a cruise ship for evacuated Canadians, Global News has also learned.
Nearly 700 people have been killed in Lebanon this week — including two Canadians — as Israel dramatically escalated strikes, saying it is targeting Hezbollah’s military capacities. The U.S., Canada and other allies have called on both sides to accept a 21-day ceasefire, a proposal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to reject Thursday.
The federal government has for months urged Canadians to get out of Lebanon via commercial flights as the situation deteriorates. Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly told reporters Wednesday that commercial flights remain the safest option to leave Lebanon and that evacuations were not being ordered for the time being.
Sources said the warnings to leave now are based on concerns about how chaotic an evacuation could become if the situation worsens. Sending troops to the region now will give them the ability to move quickly if an evacuation is ordered, the sources said.
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Joly said Friday that around 45,000 Canadian citizens are currently in Lebanon. Global Affairs Canada said Wednesday that 20,773 Canadians in Lebanon are registered with the agency.
The government has said “thousands” of Lebanese Canadians have family members and loved ones currently in Lebanon.
Canada doesn’t have permanent military bases in the region the way American and British forces do, making it necessary for Canada to get troops and assets in position early to ensure they’re not squeezed trying to get into Lebanon, the sources explained.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, Defence Minister Bill Blair reiterated the government’s call for Canadians to get out of Lebanon now via commercial flights, but added Canada will help if needed.
“We have a responsibility to Canadians around the world, and if Canadians find themselves in harm’s way, the Canadian government will be there to support them,” he said.
“We’ll be ready to respond to any eventuality.”
Joly said Wednesday her department has been working with regional partners for months to prepare for a possible evacuation and pre-position some assets, and has beefed up its diplomatic and consular presence in Lebanon to assist Canadians with documentation required to leave the country.
The department told Global News that over the weekend it saw an increase in the number of enquiries at its Emergency Watch and Response Centre, with most of the requests related to departure options, travel documents and visas.
Joly added the situation remains volatile and there are concerns about the possibility of airports closing, which would complicate evacuation efforts as well as lingering damage from the 2020 explosion at the Port of Beirut, Lebanon’s main sea entry point, as an example of the challenges involved.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday did not answer questions from reporters about when the government might order an evacuation of Canadians from Lebanon, but said the government will continue to assist with departures.
“The time to leave Lebanon was weeks ago, but if you’re still there, you need to leave if you are a Canadian,” he said during a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Montreal.
He also urged Israel and Hezbollah to agree to the 21-day ceasefire proposal, which Trudeau said was “worked out by all parties” – suggesting, as the White House confirmed earlier Thursday, that Israel had agreed to the deal before it was officially offered.
“There are too many lives at stake – not just in Lebanon, not just in the region, but indeed broader around the world,” Trudeau said.
—With additional files from Saba Aziz
