Canada Arranges 800 Seats for Evacuation Flights to Assist Citizens Leaving Lebanon

Ottawa must intensify efforts to help Canadian citizens leave Lebanon, says Kamal Tabaja, whose parents, a Canadian couple, were killed last week when an Israeli bomb struck their car in southern Lebanon.

In a phone interview from Bahrain, Tabaja expressed sleepless nights, knowing that more family members, including his Canadian brother, are still struggling to find a safe way out of the country.

While the federal government has been preparing for a potential military evacuation for months, Global Affairs Canada is advising citizens to leave on their own while options remain available. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly noted that an estimated 45,000 Canadians may be in Lebanon, though only about half have registered with the Canadian embassy in Beirut.

On Friday, Global Affairs Canada began booking seats on commercial flights departing from Beirut, but passengers are responsible for arranging their travel back to Canada from those destinations. On Monday, Joly announced that the government had secured an additional 800 seats over the next three days for Canadians, permanent residents, and their immediate families. She urged citizens, in a social media post, to “leave now” if they are offered a seat.

Tabaja, speaking before Joly’s update, said he feared it could take his brother, who lives in Beirut, up to two weeks to secure a flight. “You just have to hold strong,” he said, reminding himself to keep faith as his brother waits for a way out.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in Inuvik, N.W.T., for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, addressed the situation, reaffirming Canada’s call for a ceasefire in the region after speaking with Lebanon’s president. He condemned the violence, stressing the need to end attacks on civilians.

Lebanon’s health ministry estimates that over a thousand people have died due to Israeli airstrikes, a response to ongoing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October. As the conflict intensifies, Western countries, including European nations like Germany, have begun evacuating diplomats and citizens.

Tabaja insists that Ottawa must do more—not just to evacuate Canadians but also to denounce the violence and protect civilians from further harm.

Global Affairs Canada did not immediately respond to requests for comment.