Canada's top diplomat expresses condolences over Canadian couple's deaths in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) – Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly on Wednesday expressed her condolences for the deaths of a Canadian couple who were victims of recent Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon, while also calling for a cessation of violence.

"Deeply saddened by the killing of Hussein and Daad Tabaja in airstrikes," Joly said on X, conveying her sympathies to the Canadian couple’s family and the Lebanese community.

Joly emphasized the growing humanitarian toll and those displaced in the ongoing Israeli-Lebanon conflict, saying, "Civilians must be protected."

"We need de-escalation between Israel and Hezbollah," she added.

In a separate post, she shared her thoughts on a meeting with her Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib, saying, "We discussed the unacceptable impact on Lebanese civilians who must be protected."

She called for peace and security both in Lebanon and Israel.

Meanwhile, the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), Canada’s largest non-profit Muslim organization, stated in social media post that "two beautiful Canadians have been taken from this earthly life at the hands of the IDF (Israeli army)."

Emphasizing that they had "committed no crime," the NCCM conveyed its condolences to the family of Tabaja and said: "We pray that Canada decides to stand for justice."

"We pray for the protection of every civilian. We have no words," it added.

Israel has launched waves of deadly airstrikes on Lebanon since early Monday that have killed nearly 610 victims and injured more than 2,000, according to Lebanese health authorities.

The Lebanese resistance group, Hezbollah, and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of the Israeli onslaught against Gaza, which has killed more than 41,400 victims, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, last Oct. 7.

The international community has warned against the strikes on Lebanon, as they raise the specter of spreading the Gaza conflict regionally.