ottawa –
Global Affairs Canada on Friday began reserving block seats on the few remaining commercial flights departing Lebanon and issued another urgent appeal to Canadians in the country to leave immediately.
“Canadians need to leave now, and we are helping them do that,” Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said in a statement broadcast by X late Friday afternoon.
“Canada has reserved seats for Canadians on limited commercial flights. If there’s a seat available, take it.”
Passengers will have to pay for their own flights, but Joly said loans are available for those who need financial assistance.
Jolie and Defense Minister Bill Blair have been calling for Canadians living in Lebanon to leave the country for months as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalates.
Prime Minister Blair said on Thursday there were still plenty of options for civil aviation, but by Friday they were filling up quickly.
Global Affairs Canada is taking steps to pre-book seats to help as many Canadians as possible. Flights can go to any destination and passengers are responsible for finding their own way to Canada.
Joly said earlier this week that there are believed to be about 45,000 Canadians in Lebanon, although only about half of them are officially registered at the embassy in Beirut.
Canadians residing in Lebanon are asked to use the email me-mo.sos@international.gc.ca for information and to reserve a seat.
On September 27, 2024, a fire burns at the site of an Israeli airstrike on the southern outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussain)
Joly said Canadians should register with the embassy in Beirut and tell them they want help leaving Lebanon.
The federal government and military have been working on a plan to evacuate Canadians from Lebanon for months, but the government is urging people to evacuate on their own before it becomes necessary.
Airlines have begun canceling flights due to increased airstrikes by the Israeli military. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Friday that more than 720 people have been killed in the past week in airstrikes that Israel says are targeting Hezbollah’s military forces, which are blocking airstrikes into northern Israel.
On Friday, the most powerful attack to date struck Hezbollah’s central headquarters and destroyed six buildings on the outskirts of Beirut, the Israeli military said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short a visit to the United Nations and returned to Israel after vowing at the General Assembly that Israel’s operations against Hezbollah would continue despite calls for a ceasefire from allies including the United States and Canada.
All G7 countries, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have jointly called on Israel and Hezbollah for a 21-day ceasefire to allow for a diplomatic resolution to the war.
Jolie met with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Friday and said “there should be no war” in Lebanon.
“Civilians must be protected and there needs to be an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2024.
With files from Associated Press
