Ottawa considers contingency plans to evacuate Canadians from Lebanon, advises them to leave

Ottawa is preparing contingency plans to evacuate citizens from Lebanon if a full-scale war breaks out between Israel and Hezbollah, and has advised Canadians to leave the country because of its increasing volatility.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly on Tuesday warned that the situation could worsen if the armed conflict intensifies.

“The security situation in Lebanon is becoming increasingly volatile and unpredictable due to sustained and escalating violence between Hezbollah and Israel and could deteriorate further without warning,” Ms. Joly said in a statement.

She said Canadians should not travel to Lebanon and “for Canadians currently in Lebanon, it’s time to leave, while commercial flights remain available.”

A war between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group could be “a catastrophe that goes far beyond the border, and frankly, beyond imagination,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned last week, amid rising rhetoric and fears of further conflict.

Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel shortly after its regional ally Hamas attacked Israel last October. Since then, Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged near-daily cross-border strikes, escalating gradually. Last week, the Israeli army said it has “approved and validated” plans for an offensive in Lebanon, although the decision to launch such an operation would have to come from the country’s political leadership.

The Department of National Defence said Tuesday that the Canadian Armed Forces are working with the Canadian embassy in Lebanon on preparations for eventualities.

“In support of Global Affairs Canada, CAF personnel are currently assisting the Canadian embassy in Lebanon with contingency planning,” said Cheryl Forrest, a defence department spokeswoman, in a statement.

“The situation in Lebanon is volatile and unpredictable due to ongoing events in Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip and sustained and escalating violence between Hezbollah and Israel. There are violent clashes along the border with Israel, including daily rocket and missile fire as well as air strikes.”

The statement added the CAF is in continual contact with Canadian government 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 and Canadian interests.”

In 2006, Canada evacuated thousands of its citizens from Lebanon after war broke out between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel launched air attacks and ground incursions into Lebanese territory after Hezbollah had conducted a raid into Israel killing several Israeli soldiers and capturing two.

Canadians were evacuated by sea to holding centres in Cyprus and Turkey, and from there by air to Canada. There were 34 departures by ship from the port of Beirut and another from the port of Tyre. Evacuees were flown to Canada on 61 chartered flights, with an additional four flights on aircraft belonging to the defence department.

The costly evacuation prompted criticism at the time, with some claiming that many of the evacuees had citizenship but tenuous ties to Canada, which led to some being referred to as “Canadians of convenience.”

In 2013, contingency plans to evacuate tens of thousands of Canadian citizens living in Lebanon were drawn up by the federal government, as fears grew of a looming war between Hezbollah and Israel. At the time, Ottawa issued increasingly strong warnings against travel to Lebanon, and urged those already there to leave while commercial travel was available.

Israeli media reported Tuesday that Ms. Joly held a conversation with its Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, and that preparations for a possible future evacuation of Canadians from Lebanon were discussed. Ms. Joly’s office was unavailable for comment.

With a report from Associated Press