(Ottawa) Global Affairs Canada announced it is chartering more flights from Lebanon this week to help Canadians leave the country as the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies.
In a press release issued Monday, the ministry said it has nearly 600 seats on planes leaving Beirut on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Foreign Ministry’s office said earlier in the day that a 291-seat plane was ready to leave Lebanon on Monday. To date, 104 people have confirmed their presence, including Canadians, UN staff and foreign nationals.
In just over a week, the federal government has helped more than 1,150 people leave Lebanon, including Canadians, permanent residents and their immediate family members, and offered departure options to more than 4,600 people .
On Sunday, the federal government said more than 25,000 Canadians were registered in Lebanon, but Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said the exact number could be closer to 45,000.
This Monday marks the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, which sparked the conflict that is now spreading to other countries in the Middle East.