As 1K Canadians leave Lebanon, thousands more still eligible, officials say – National

[Pelican Press 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

As 1K Canadians leave Lebanon, thousands more still eligible, officials say – National

As the conflict between ******* and Hezbollah escalates, more than a thousand Canadians have left Lebanon over the past nine days through commercial flights, with more seats available this week.

Since Sept. 29, a total of 1,162 people, including Canadians, permanent residents and immediate family members, have flown out of Lebanon, Global Affairs Canada said in an update on Monday evening.

The federal government began co-ordinating commercially assisted departures for Canadians looking to get out of Lebanon at the end of last month amid an intensifying conflict between ******* and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Global Affairs is booking batches of seats on commercial flights. On Monday, one flight carried 104 Canadians.

Additional flights, with nearly 600 seats available, are scheduled to depart from the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Story continues below advertisement

“The ongoing crisis has rendered communications extremely difficult throughout Lebanon,” GAC said.

“Despite these challenges, Global Affairs Canada’s Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa continues to work, around the clock, 7 days a week reaching out to ********* citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family through all available channels.”

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

1:33
******* ramps up ******** on Lebanon on anniversary of Oct. 7 *******

Tensions between ******* and Hezbollah mounted after a deadly wave of bombings across Lebanon last month in which explosives hidden in pagers and walkie-talkies ******* dozens of people and wounded thousands, including many Hezbollah members.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

Get daily National news

Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

The Lebanese government and Hezbollah have blamed ******* for the remote *******. But ******* has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility.

******** airstrikes on Lebanon have given way to a fast-expanding ground incursion against Hezbollah militants who have continued to fired rockets into ******* since the Gaza conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023.

Story continues below advertisement

As the ********* mounts, GAC said more than 5,500 Canadians, permanent residents and immediate family members in Lebanon have expressed their interest in departing the country.

Out of these, 4,687 individuals have so far been deemed eligible, are documented, and have been offered departure options, GAC said.

Trending Now

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

Can fizzy drinks and fruit juice increase ******* risk? New study finds links

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

Influencer, 20, crashes McLaren while livstreaming on the highway

“All interested eligible travelers with whom we have communicated specific offers have departed or will do so in the coming days.”

As of Monday, 25,300 Canadians were registered as being in Lebanon.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

2:21
‘Get out’: Trudeau urges Canadians to leave Lebanon as conflict intensifies

Canada’s Ambassador to Lebanon Stefanie McCollum says the “situation ******** volatile” and ********* in the country has escalated in the last week.

“This is a highly volatile, violent situation and we don’t want Canadians stuck in it,” McCollum said in an interview with Mercedes Stephenson on The West Block that aired Sunday.

Story continues below advertisement

If needed, the ********* Armed Forces are also preparing for military-assisted evacuations, but McCollum said that is “an option of last resort.”

“What we say to Canadians is you shouldn’t be counting on that plan of last resort. You should be leaving now while commercial options are available before it gets any worse.”

— with files from Global News’ Sean Boynton and The Associated Press

More on Canada
More videos

&copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

#Canadians #leave #Lebanon #thousands #eligible #officials #National

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up