OTTAWA — As war in the Middle East spread Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly “unequivocally” condemned Iran’s move to fire dozens of missiles into Israel but asked the Jewish state not to respond in a bid to avoid further escalation.
Joly also begged Canadians in Lebanon to leave immediately as Israel began what it is calling a limited ground operation against Hezbollah targets in the south of that country.
“These attacks from Iran will only serve to further destabilize the region, and it must stop,” Joly said on Parliament Hill. The latest moves by Israel and Iran are risking an “all-out war” in the Middle East she said.
In the House of Commons, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre demanded the government say unequivocally that Israel has the right to defend itself.
Joly said in response that she had been in contact with her Israeli counterparts earlier in the day. In an earlier scrum with reporters, Joly said Israel does have the right to defend itself but that further escalation of the war is not going to help.
Last week Canada joined G7 nations and several Middle East allies in demanding a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah as the intensity of fighting between the two intensified.
Both Defence Minister Bill Blair and Joly insisted they still believe a diplomatic solution is possible.
“I believe that it is possible to get to peace,” Joly said. “I believe that we’re in a moment where we need to save lives.”
On Friday, Canada began helping reserve hundreds of seats for Canadian citizens on the few commercial flights still available out of Beirut to Istanbul, after many carriers cancelled their service in and out Lebanon.
Joly made a desperate plea to people to take up the offer, saying 200 people had taken advantage of the seats over the weekend, and 200 more were on a flight to Istanbul Tuesday.
She said 4,000 people had inquired with her department about the offer of help leaving Lebanon, but of the 1,700 who had so far been called back, only half accepted one of the seats.
“If you are offered a seat, please take it. It is time to leave now,” she said. “I know it’s a tough choice. I know that the situation is extremely difficult, but my priority is your security.”
Officials from Global Affairs Canada were set to brief Canadian media about the efforts later Tuesday.
Blair said Canada does not believe Israel’s incursion into southern Lebanon amounts to a “full-scale invasion” yet, but such an invasion remains a possibility.
“We have to remain hopeful that there’s a possibility of a ceasefire and a diplomatic resolution of the current conflict,” he said. “But we’re watching with increasing concern about the escalation of violence.”
The latest escalation comes almost a year after a deadly Hamas attack in Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people and abducting another 250. Israel responded with attacks in Gaza, that have left more than 41,000 dead, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Hezbollah and Israel have traded fire across the Lebanon border almost daily since Oct. 8, 2023, with communities in northern Israel evacuated as a result.
An airstrike last week killed Hezbollah’s longtime chief Hassan Nasrallah. Two Canadians were killed in Lebanon in Israeli airstrikes, also last week.
On Tuesday night, Canadian MPs will hold an emergency debate on Canada’s response to the Middle East crisis and its evacuation measures. NDP foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson requested the debate first thing Tuesday and House Speaker Greg Fergus agreed to it.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2024.
— With files from The Associated Press
Mia Rabson, The Canadian Press