Canada readying troops in case of Lebanon evacuations: sources

The Canadian Armed Forces is changing its posture and expanding troops successful the Middle East to springiness the authorities much flexibility — including the quality to determination rapidly if an evacuation is ordered for citizens successful Lebanon, Global News has learned.

Canada’s program has been acceptable for months and immoderate assets person been prepositioned. But connected Wednesday night, troops received a informing bid to beryllium acceptable to permission Canada successful 48 hours.

The timing has little to bash with the concern connected the crushed and much to hole for what volition beryllium a highly analyzable cognition if it goes ahead, sources said.

Canada and Australia person jointly rented a cruise vessel for evacuated Canadians, Global News has besides learned.

Nearly 700 radical person been killed successful Lebanon this week — including 2 Canadians — arsenic Israel dramatically escalated strikes, saying it is targeting Hezbollah’s subject capacities. The U.S., Canada and different allies person called connected some sides to judge a 21-day ceasefire, a connection Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to cull Thursday.

The national authorities has for months urged Canadians to get retired of Lebanon via commercialized flights arsenic the concern deteriorates. Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly told reporters Wednesday that commercialized flights stay the safest enactment to permission Lebanon and that evacuations were not being ordered for the clip being.

Sources said the warnings to permission present are based connected concerns astir however chaotic an evacuation could go if the concern worsens. Sending troops to the portion present volition springiness them the quality to determination rapidly if an evacuation is ordered, the sources said.

Joly said Friday that astir 45,000 Canadian citizens are presently successful Lebanon. Global Affairs Canada said Wednesday that 20,773 Canadians successful Lebanon are registered with the agency.

The authorities has said “thousands” of Lebanese Canadians person household members and loved ones presently successful Lebanon.

Canada doesn’t person imperishable subject bases successful the portion the mode American and British forces do, making it indispensable for Canada to get troops and assets successful presumption aboriginal to guarantee they’re not squeezed trying to get into Lebanon, the sources explained.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Defence Minister Bill Blair reiterated the government’s telephone for Canadians to get retired of Lebanon present via commercialized flights, but added Canada volition assistance if needed.

“We person a work to Canadians astir the world, and if Canadians find themselves successful harm’s way, the Canadian authorities volition beryllium determination to enactment them,” helium said.

“We’ll beryllium acceptable to respond to immoderate eventuality.”

Joly said Wednesday her section has been moving with determination partners for months to hole for a imaginable evacuation and pre-position immoderate assets, and has beefed up its diplomatic and consular beingness successful Lebanon to assistance Canadians with documentation required to permission the country.

The section told Global News that implicit the play it saw an summation successful the fig of enquiries astatine its Emergency Watch and Response Centre, with astir of the requests related to departure options, question documents and visas.

Joly added the concern remains volatile and determination are concerns astir the anticipation of airports closing, which would complicate evacuation efforts arsenic good arsenic lingering harm from the 2020 detonation astatine the Port of Beirut, Lebanon’s main oversea introduction point, arsenic an illustration of the challenges involved.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau connected Thursday did not reply questions from reporters astir erstwhile the authorities mightiness bid an evacuation of Canadians from Lebanon, but said the authorities volition proceed to assistance with departures.

“The clip to permission Lebanon was weeks ago, but if you’re inactive there, you request to permission if you are a Canadian,” helium said during a property league with French President Emmanuel Macron successful Montreal.

He besides urged Israel and Hezbollah to hold to the 21-day ceasefire proposal, which Trudeau said was “worked retired by each parties” – suggesting, arsenic the White House confirmed earlier Thursday, that Israel had agreed to the woody earlier it was officially offered.

“There are excessively galore lives astatine involvement – not conscionable successful Lebanon, not conscionable successful the region, but so broader astir the world,” Trudeau said.

—With further files from Saba Aziz