Hundreds of Canadians have fled Lebanon on government-booked flights, Joly says

Global Affairs Canada (GAC) reports that only about a third of the 1,700 Canadians in Lebanon who were contacted and offered seats on evacuation flights have accepted the government's assistance.

During a technical briefing on Tuesday, a senior GAC official revealed that 100 Canadians departed Lebanon on Saturday aboard a Middle East Airlines flight from Beirut to Istanbul, with tickets arranged by GAC. However, the passengers are responsible for covering the $330 US ticket cost.

On Tuesday, another 200 Canadians boarded a Middle East Airlines charter flight, also organized by GAC, although a few passengers did not show up. The official noted that such no-shows are typical in the airline industry.

GAC has scheduled three more evacuation flights from Lebanon for Thursday and Friday, bringing the total number of available seats across all five flights to nearly 1,000.

Meanwhile, the House of Commons is preparing for an emergency debate on the Lebanon crisis, as fears grow of a full-scale invasion amid Israel's ground incursion.

Earlier, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly stated that only half of those contacted about the evacuation flights had taken the government's offer, with 400 Canadians leaving Lebanon on GAC-arranged flights since Saturday. GAC later clarified these figures during the briefing.

"If you are offered a seat, please take it. It is time to leave Lebanon now," Joly urged, emphasizing that not all available seats had been filled.

Joly also noted that around 45,000 Canadians are in Lebanon and has been warning that future evacuations might not be possible if commercial flights stop. Approximately 20,000 Canadians are registered with GAC's Registration of Canadians Abroad program, and all were sent forms providing details on how to obtain flight bookings through GAC.

Only 4,000 people, or 20%, responded to the form, and GAC has so far contacted 1,700 of them.

Last week, Joly announced that her department had secured blocks of seats on commercial airlines to help Canadians leave Lebanon. Those unable to afford tickets can apply for loans through a GAC consular program.

Defence Minister Bill Blair added that while the government is assisting Canadians in leaving Lebanon, they will need to make their own onward travel arrangements after departing the country.

MPs hold emergency debate

Later on Tuesday, Parliament held an emergency debate on Canada’s response to Israel’s ground operations and airstrikes, which have destroyed apartment buildings in Beirut.

Israel claims its incursion is targeted at ending Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on northern Israel, with Israeli citizens having evacuated the area months ago. The strikes have killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, along with civilians, including two Canadians whose sons said were attempting to flee along a crowded highway.

NDP MP Heather McPherson initiated the debate, condemning the escalation and Iran’s involvement. She argued that world leaders have failed to de-escalate the conflict, saying, "Civilians in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, and the wider region are paying the price for the failures of world leaders." She warned that further violence looms because global political leaders have not been held accountable under international law.