(Ottawa) The government of Canada on Tuesday called on its nationals to leave Lebanon as quickly as possible, “while they can”, where fears of an escalation of violence on its southern border, between Hezbollah and Israel , are becoming more and more vivid.
“It is time to leave, while trade options are still available,” Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said in a statement.
“The security situation in Lebanon is becoming increasingly volatile and unpredictable due to sustained and growing violence between Hezbollah and Israel,” she warns.
Addressing Canadians in Lebanon, the minister said: “If the armed conflict escalates, this could impact your ability to leave the country and our ability to provide you with consular services,” recalling that Canada does not offers no assistance in leaving the territory.
The war in Gaza, triggered by an unprecedented attack by Hamas against Israel on October 7, has led to an increase in clashes on the Israeli-Lebanese border between the Israeli army and Hezbollah, which had already been fought in 2006. .
Exchanges of fire between the Israeli army and Lebanese Hezbollah, a powerful Islamist movement allied with Hamas, armed and financed by Iran, have led to the displacement of tens of thousands of residents of the border areas of southern Lebanon and the northern Israel.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that “after the end of the intense phase” in the Gaza Strip, the army will be “able to redeploy certain forces towards the north”, near the border with Lebanon. , adding to fears of an extension of the conflict.
Strikes hit Lebanon on Monday, according to the official Lebanese press agency, with Hezbollah announcing for its part that it had targeted three Israeli military sites on the other side of the border.
The United States warned on Tuesday that a conflict between Israel and Hezbollah could trigger a regional war.