National

Ottawa urges Canadians to leave Lebanon while they can due to escalating violence

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 25 Jun, 2024 02:45 PM

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is urging Canadians to leave an increasingly volatile Lebanon while they can.

In a statement today, Joly says the security situation could deteriorate further without warning due to sustained and escalating violence between Hezbollah and Israel.

1/2
Today, we are imposing additional sanctions on those who have supported Hamas, including through funding the October 7th attack on Israel. https://t.co/Zc4th1Ddo4
— Mélanie Joly (@melaniejoly) June 25, 2024

Joly says it is not the time to travel to Lebanon, and for Canadians now there, it is time to leave while commercial flights remain available.

She warns that if the armed conflict intensifies, it could affect people's ability to leave the country and Canada's capacity to provide consular services.

Canada is not currently offering assisted departures or evacuations for Canadians in Lebanon, and these are not guaranteed.

Joly urges Canadians in Lebanon to consult the federal government's travel advisories regularly and to register with the federal service for Canadians abroad to receive important updates.

"Canadians should make sure their travel documents and those of their spouse and dependent children are always up to date and secure," Joly added.

The government says Canadians who need emergency consular assistance should contact the Embassy of Canada to Lebanon at 961 4 726 700 or Global Affairs Canada's Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa.

Ottawa also announced further measures against Hamas on Tuesday, sanctioning nine individuals and two financial entities that it said took part in the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel.

The government said in a release they "directly or indirectly participated in facilitating, supporting, and providing funding assessed as having been integral to the planning and execution of the attacks."

It said the sanctions are a "further step in Canada's response to the ongoing violence in the region."

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

LNG company's plan for floating work camp is rejected by Squamish, B.C.

Plans to use a renovated cruise ship to house more than 600 workers as they build a liquefied natural gas facility near Squamish, B.C., have been voted down by the local council. The ship arrived in B.C. waters in January after a 40-day journey from Estonia, where it had sheltered Ukrainian refugees, but Woodfibre LNG didn't obtain a permit from the district to operate the so-called "floatel."

LNG company's plan for floating work camp is rejected by Squamish, B.C.

Second pro-Palestinian protest camp set up at UVIC

A second pro-Palestinian protest camp has been set up at a university in B-C, two days after the establishment of the first camp at U-B-C in Vancouver. Protesters say students at the new encampment at the University of Victoria are demanding that the school divest itself from investments linked to Israel.

Second pro-Palestinian protest camp set up at UVIC

B.C. to provide $155.7 million to recruit and retain specialized health workers

The British Columbia government is spending more money to recruit and retain health-science workers, especially those in rural and remote communities. Health Minister Adrian Dix says $155.7 million has been set aside at a time when B.C. has a "significantly increasing population" and more skilled health-care staff are needed, particularly in remote communities.

B.C. to provide $155.7 million to recruit and retain specialized health workers

Ottawa 'urgently' waiting for info from B.C. before deciding on drug criminalization

The province is one year into a three-year pilot project to decriminalize possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs, including heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine. A Health Canada exemption was issued to allow the pilot to proceed. Last week, B.C. Premier David Eby asked Health Canada to recriminalize the use of those drugs in public spaces, such as hospitals and parks. Possession in private spaces would still

Ottawa 'urgently' waiting for info from B.C. before deciding on drug criminalization

Dental care program accepting claims for 1 million seniors

Citizens' Services Minister Terry Beech says 1,200 seniors have already visited a dentist and had their claims processed by the federal government's new dental care plan. He says 1 million seniors received their benefits card and are eligible to make claims under the program as of today.

Dental care program accepting claims for 1 million seniors

B.C. woman arrested over speech that praised Hamas attack

Police say a 44-year-old woman has been arrested in a hate-crime investigation over a speech in Vancouver that praised the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel. A statement from the Vancouver Police Department says the woman "referred to a number of terrorist organizations as heroes."