Canada urges citizens to leave Lebanon as Israel-Hezbollah conflict escalates

Shafaq News/ On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged citizens to leave Lebanon immediately due to escalating regional tensions involving Israel and Hezbollah.

"We see that the risk of escalation is real, the challenges in the region are significant," Trudeau told reporters in Ontario. "We are making certain preparations to be able to support in the event that everything gets much, much worse, but the situation is so difficult that we may not be able to get all Canadians out."

Tens of thousands of Canadians live in Lebanon, where daily bombardments between Hezbollah and Israel take place, with Hezbollah claiming the operations support its ally, Hamas.

In late June, Canada advised against traveling to Lebanon due to a "volatile and unpredictable" situation, warning of possible sudden violence between Hezbollah and Israel.

The region is on high alert, anticipating Iran's response to the Israeli assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran. Tensions are further heightened by Hezbollah leader Fouad Shukr's assassination in an Israeli raid on Beirut, and by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant's warning of severe retaliation if attacked by Hezbollah, Iran, or their allies.