Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called on Canadians in Lebanon to evacuate due to the growing risk of a regional conflict involving Israel and other groups, including the Lebanon-based Hezbollah.
During a press conference, Trudeau emphasized the seriousness of the escalation risk and advised Canadians to utilise commercial travel options while they are still available.
An estimated tens of thousands of Canadians reside in Lebanon, where there have been frequent exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel in support of Hamas.
Recently, an Israeli attack in the southern suburbs of Beirut resulted in the death of Hezbollah’s top military commander, Fuad Shukr, shortly before the killing of Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, an act attributed to Israel.
Additionally, following the assassination in Tehran, the U.S. government issued a warning about a potential “significant attack” by Iran on Israel this week.
In response to the rising tensions, Canada had already recommended against travel to Lebanon in late June due to the unpredictable and volatile situation. The
The Canadian military is preparing emergency services in Cyprus to assist nationals in evacuating should commercial flights from Lebanon become unavailable.
In the same vein, the Austrian Foreign Ministry has issued an urgent call for its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately, citing escalating risks in the region.
The ministry’s statement highlighted that the initial travel warning to Lebanon was issued in October 2023 and remains in effect.
This warning comes in the wake of significant escalations in violence and threats of retaliation after the assassination of senior Hezbollah commander Fouad Shakr in Beirut and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
