MPs to debate Lebanon crisis, evacuation options this evening after Israeli incursion

By Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press on October 1, 2024.

The House of Commons will hold an emergency debate this evening on the crisis in Lebanon, after Israel's ground incursion and fears of a full-scale invasion. Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburb in Lebanon, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Hassan Ammar

OTTAWA – The House of Commons will hold an emergency debate this evening on the crisis in Lebanon after Israel’s ground incursion intensified fears of a full-scale invasion.

Members of Parliament will weigh in on how Ottawa should respond to the Israeli ground operation that started early this morning and the airstrikes that have destroyed apartment buildings in Beirut.

Israel says it’s undertaking a limited incursion and that its actions are aimed at ending Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on northern Israel, where its citizens evacuated months ago.

Israeli strikes have killed Hezbollah’s longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and civilians including two Canadians whose sons say they were trying to flee to safety on a congested highway.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has said there are about 45,000 Canadians in Lebanon and she has warned for months that evacuating people might not be possible if commercial flights stop.

House Speaker Greg Fergus has accepted a request by NDP foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson for an emergency debate on Canada’s response to the crisis and its evacuation measures.

The debate is set to happen during the daily adjournment proceedings, which typically happens at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Regional leaders are expressing concern that Israel will launch a full-scale invasion of Lebanon as it did in 1978 and 1982.

The Associated Press reports that a senior U.S. administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said American intelligence suggests Iran is preparing to imminently launch a ballistic missile attack on Israel.

International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen said Canada is still appealing for an end to the fighting.

“This war doesn’t serve anyone’s interest,” he told reporters this morning on Parliament Hill. “We hope that the parties can come to their senses and a ceasefire.”

As for a possible evacuation, Hussen said Canadian officials have been “getting ready for this type of scenario for months.”