12.94°C Vancouver

Aug 2, 2024 3:39 PM - The Canadian Press

Canadians urged to leave Lebanon as flights cancelled amid growing tensions

Share On
canadians-urged-to-leave-lebanon-as-flights-cancelled-amid-growing-tensions
The fear that her young daughters might witness violence does cause some concern, she said, but so far she has not personally seen any sign of conflict.(Photo: The Canadian Press)

Lara Salameh was supposed to be flying out of Beirut Thursday en route to Montreal with her husband and two daughters, but the night before, their flight was cancelled. She said Air France told her service out of the Lebanese capital was suspended because of the unstable security situation — one that Ottawa has been warning Canadians about as fears of war between Israel and Hezbollah grow.

Salameh is one of the 21,399 Canadians registered as being in Lebanon, a country the Canadian government is urging its citizens to leave. It says they can’t rely on government evacuation flights if war engulfs Lebanon.

Canada has been planning since October for a possible evacuation of its citizens and sent military personnel to Lebanon and Cyprus in preparation.

Salameh hopes that her rescheduled flight on Aug. 10 will take off as planned, but she has no regrets. Travelling to her native country is more than a vacation, she said in an interview Thursday from Beirut. It is a chance for her children to spend time with their elderly grandparents, some of whom are ill.

“We expected that we might get stuck here, but we came anyways for family,”the Laval-Que. resident said, adding that the turmoil in the Middle East did make her hesitate before booking the trip this year.

“You can't leave your parents. They're getting old and we need to see them.”

The fear that her young daughters might witness violence does cause some concern, she said, but so far she has not personally seen any sign of conflict. If the situation does sour, she said, she can take refuge with family who live in the northern part of the country.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has urged Canadians in the country to fly back to Canada immediately.

“If you are in Lebanon, come back home. If tensions escalate, the situation on the ground may not allow us to help you, and you won’t be able to leave,” Joly posted on X on Wednesday. The Canadian government noted that some airlines have already suspended service to Beirut. "Additional travel disruptions are likely, including airspace closures and flight cancellations and diversions," it said on X.

Hezbollah’s leader warned Thursday that the conflict with Israel has entered a “new phase,” as he addressed mourners at the funeral of a commander from the group who was killed by an Israeli airstrike this week in Beirut. Israel alleges the commander was behind a weekend rocket attack that killed 12 young people in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, but Hezbollah has denied the charge.

Not all Canadians in Lebanon are scrambling to get back, however.

Stephani Moukhaiber was born in Lebanon and returned there from Montreal last year after being laid off from her job. She said Thursday she has no intention of fleeing Lebanon, even as tensions rise.

Moukhaiber is a Canadian citizen, and she has been receiving regular messages from the Canadian government warning her to leave while flights are still available. “I'm not going to lie. I did have a moment of insecurity where I was like, 'Yeah, maybe I should go back,'" she said in a phone interview.

But she said the atmosphere where she lives in the mountains outside Beirut is calm, in part because locals have lived through many conflicts in recent decades, including a 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

And Moukhaiber, who traces some of her roots to the Palestinian territories, cannot forgive Canada for its stance in the Israel-Hamas war. She said she does not want to return to Canada because she feels the country is not doing enough to stop Gazans from being killed.

“I'd rather be here in a state of war than be in a country that doesn't believe in my existence or (my) right to exist,” she said.

Latest news

conservative-activist-charlie-kirk-has-been-shot-at-an-event-in-utah
WorldSep 10, 2025

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk fatally shot in Utah

Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was fatally shot Wednesday at an event at a Utah college, Turning Point said. Videos posted to social media show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone while sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogan, ``The American Comeback'' and ``Prove Me Wrong.'' A single shot rings out and Kirk can be seen reaching up with his right hand as a large volume of blood gushes from the left side of his neck. Stunned spectators gasp and scream, and some run away. The AP was able to confirm the videos
additional-charges-laid-in-lapu-lapu-festival-attack
BCSep 10, 2025

Additional charges laid in Lapu Lapu Festival attack

Additional criminal charges have been laid against the alleged driver in the April 26 vehicle attack at the Lapu Lapu Festival, following an ongoing investigation by the Vancouver Police Department. The B.C. Prosecution Service has charged Kai-Ji Adam Lo with 31 counts of attempted murder, in relation to the surviving victims of the attack. The new charges are in addition to 11 counts of second-degree murder previously laid against Lo. Chief Constable Steve Rai: “This is another step toward answers and accountability in one of the most horrific incidents our city has ever faced, and I ex
pm-mark-carney-condemns-russian-drone-attack-in-poland
CanadaSep 10, 2025

PM Mark Carney condemns Russian drone attack in Poland

PM Mark Carney has condemned the Russian drone incursion into Poland, saying it is completely counterproductive to peace efforts. Carney said Canada is monitoring the situation closely. The prime minister said that to bring lasting peace to Ukraine and Europe, we must increase pressure on Putin to end the Ukraine war. Defence Minister David McGuinty said in a statement that several NATO countries were involved in shooting down a Russian drone that violated Polish airspace, but he did not confirm whether any Canadian resources were used in the operation. The government said that Canada's p
stolen-skid-steer-recovered-in-mission
BCSep 10, 2025

Stolen skid-steer recovered in Mission

Overnight on September 1-2, a Kubota skid-steer loader valued at over $150,000 was stolen from a construction site near Hope. The owner of the machine notified police, and investigators learned that the skid-steer had been transported to a rural property in Mission. A Search Warrant was obtained that same day, and the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team attended to assist with safely executing the warrant. Officers from General Duty and Mission RCMP’s Crime Reduction Unit then carried out a search of the property – a large acreage along Cameron Avenue – and located the stolen skid
dump-truck-driver-loses-his-licence-and-his-job-after-a-rollover-collision-near-deroche
BCSep 10, 2025

Dump truck driver loses his licence and his job after a rollover collision near Deroche

A 44-year-old Abbotsford man is facing fines, a licence suspension, and the loss of his job after allegedly rolling a dump truck into a ditch while impaired. BC Highway Patrol was called on September 4, 2025, at 2:30 p.m., after witnesses reported a single-vehicle dump truck collision on Lougheed Highway near Deroche, BC. When police arrived, the dump truck driver was given a breath demand and the reading on the Approved Screening Device was fail. The dump truck driver was not seriously injured in the collision, but he was issued the following: A 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition from driv

Related News