Canada asks citizens in Lebanon to ‘return home immediately’ amid Israeli escalation

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) – Canada on Monday called on its citizens in Lebanon to "return home immediately," as Israel dramatically intensified airstrikes across Lebanon, prompting unprecedented Hezbollah retaliation strikes.

"For Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are in Lebanon - return home immediately," Foreign Minister Melanie Joly wrote on X, warning against making travel plans to Lebanon.

"The security situation along the Lebanon-Israel border is highly volatile and can escalate without warning at any time," she said.

She also expressed Canada's "grave" concern over the escalations between Israel and Hezbollah, stressing the priority of protecting of civilians on both sides and across the region.

Joly, who said she is in contact with her Lebanese and Israeli counterparts, urged for "urgent de-escalation at the border between Israel and Lebanon to prevent a devastating catastrophe."

Israel has launched a barrage of airstrikes into southern and eastern Lebanon, with the nation's health authorities saying at least 392 people, including 35 children, were killed and 1,645 more injured in the attacks since Monday morning that also forced thousands of civilians to flee their homes.

Israeli forces intensified their attacks on Lebanon, ignoring the international community's warnings that they would risk spreading the Gaza conflict to other regions.

Tension has mounted between Hezbollah and Israel following a deadly airstrike last week that killed at least 45 people, including women and children, and injured dozens in a suburb of Beirut.

Hezbollah confirmed that at least 16 of its members, including senior leader Ibrahim Aqil and top commander Ahmed Wahbi, were killed in the Israeli airstrike.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the beginning of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed over 41,400 people, the majority of whom are women and children, following a Hamas cross-border attack on Oct. 7 of last year.