Canada booking seats on flights out of Lebanon as violence escalates

By Mia Rabson, The Canadian Press on September 27, 2024.

OTTAWA – Global Affairs Canada is booking blocks of seats on some commercial flights leaving Lebanon to help Canadians who are trying to flee as Israeli strikes escalated today.

Israel launched its most powerful strikes on Beirut since the latest escalation began, destroying six buildings in a suburb as the Israeli Defense Force struck the headquarters of Hezbollah.

The federal government is strongly urging Canadians to leave Lebanon immediately.

Defence Minister Bill Blair stressed Thursday that there were still commercial flights available out of Lebanon, but by Friday those options were quickly evaporating.

A federal government official told The Canadian Press that Global Affairs was booking seats on flights to secure a safe passage for Canadians. The seats blocked by Canada could be to any destination out of Lebanon.

The official stressed this is not an evacuation, though Canada has been working for months on a plan to launch mass evacuations of Canadians if needed.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said earlier this week it’s believed about 45,000 Canadians were in Lebanon, even though only about half that number have registered officially with the embassy in Beirut.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2024.

– With files from The Associated Press

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