Trudeau Tells Israeli President to Avoid Escalating Conflict With Hezbollah

A Lebanese soldier monitors the border area of the northern Israeli town of Metula on Oct. 8, 2023. (Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP via Getty Images)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is urging Israel’s president to avoid accelerating the conflict with Lebanese Hezbollah, citing concern for civilians already at risk from the Islamist terrorist group’s rockets.

In a July 4 call with President of Israel Isaac Herzog, Mr. Trudeau “voiced Canada’s concerns over further escalation along Israel’s northern border, which Hezbollah continues to bombard with rockets,” according to a readout provided by his office.

Israel’s northern border with Lebanon has remained under pressure due to regular skirmishes with Hezbollah since the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack by the terrorist group’s ally Hamas. Hostilities have intensified recently, however.

Israel has killed commanders of Hezbollah inside Lebanon, which prompted the group to respond with a bombardment of rockets and drones.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on June 27 Iran is attacking Israel in a “seven-front war,” which includes actions by Hamas and Hezbollah. He said the first requirement is to eliminate Hamas, but other elements of the “Iran terror axis” also need to be deterred.

Mr. Trudeau’s discussion with Mr. Herzog took place the same day he convened the Incident Response Group to discuss the situation in the Middle East, particularly the development with Hezbollah. Ottawa considers the Iran-backed Shiite Muslim group a terrorist entity.

The Incident Response Group is composed of relevant ministers and senior officials and usually only meets to respond to a crisis.

A Prime Minister’s Office statement on the meeting said the “state of readiness to respond to potential scenarios” was discussed.

In the meantime, the government has called on Canadians in Lebanon to leave while flights are still available.

“Assisted departures or evacuations cannot be guaranteed in the event of further escalation,” the PMO statement said.

This follows a call from Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly on June 25 for Canadians to leave the country and to ensure travel documents are up to date.

Israel fought a 34-day war in 2006 against Hezbollah, after the group miscalculated the response from the Jewish state to the kidnapping and killing of 10 Israel Defense Forces soldiers.

The Canadian military was deployed at the time to help evacuate Canadians out of Lebanon. In total, 15,000 people were evacuated by Canada, including citizens from other countries.

It was estimated that as many as 50,000 Canadians were visiting or residing in Lebanon at the time, according to a report from the Senate which examined the government’s response.

The evacuation ended on Aug. 15, 2006, a day after the end of the war.

Outgoing Canadian military chief General Wayne Eyre told CBC News that a contingency plan is in place to evacuate approximately 20,000 Canadians from Lebanon if necessary. The plan is dependent on allied support.

While Canada has recommended its citizens leave Lebanon, the United States has yet to make such a move.

The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon issued a reminder to U.S. citizens on June 27 to “strongly reconsider travel to Lebanon.”