Global Affairs Canada is warning Canadians in Lebanon not to rely solely on the Canadian government for evacuation in the case of all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah.
“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,“ Global Affairs said in a June 27 statement to The Epoch Times.
“There is no guarantee the Canadian government will evacuate Canadians in a crisis situation.”
The Israeli government recently approved a plan for a possible offensive inside Lebanon, as Israeli Defence Force soldiers continue to clash with Hezbollah along Israel’s northern border.
The Israeli government has ordered thousands of Israelis to evacuate from northern communities.
During a tour of a northern Israeli community on June 6, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “whoever thinks he can hurt us and we will respond by sitting on our hands is making a big mistake,“ adding that ”one way or another, we will restore security to the north.”
In its statement, Global Affairs Canada said it has been advising Canadians against travel to Lebanon since Oct. 18, 2023, after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas in southern Israel, due to the “volatile and unpredictable” situation in the country.
“The security situation can deteriorate further without warning. The Government of Canada’s ability to provide consular services during an active conflict may be limited,” the spokesperson said.
‘Contingency Planning’
In a statement to The Epoch Times, the Department of National Defence (DND) said it is working on contingency evacuation plans amid the escalating conflict.
“The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) 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 and Canadian interests,” DND spokesperson Alex Tétreault told The Epoch Times.
“In support of Global Affairs Canada, CAF personnel are currently assisting the Canadian embassy in Lebanon with contingency planning.”
In an interview with CBC News on June 26 ahead of his retirement, Gen. Wayne Eyre, the chief of the defence staff, said evacuating Canadians from Lebanon is “something that preoccupies military planners,” and estimated the number of potential evacuees would be around 20,000. The CAF didn’t confirm this number when asked by The Epoch Times.
On June 25, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly urged Canadians to leave Lebanon while they still could, saying the security situation in the country could deteriorate further and affect their ability to leave. She added that Canada was not currently offering assisted departures or evacuations for Canadians in Lebanon, as they are not guaranteed.
