OTTAWA — As war spread in the Middle East on 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 southern part 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 conflict is not going to help.
Last week, Canada joined G7 nations and several Middle Eastern allies in demanding a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah as the fighting 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, the federal government began helping reserve hundreds of seats for Canadian citizens on the few commercial flights still available out of Beirut to Istanbul, after many airlines cancelled their service in and out of Lebanon.
On Tuesday Joly pleaded with people to take the offer.
“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.”
She said 200 people had taken advantage of the available seats over the weekend, and 200 more were on a flight to Istanbul on Tuesday.
About 4,000 people have asked Global Affairs Canada about the offer of help and 1,700 had received a call back to proceed with the booking.
Earlier in the day Joly said about half had gone forward with a booking, but officials from her department clarified later in a media briefing that it was closer to one-third.
The officials said they should be able to book 1,000 seats in total this week, a figure that included the flights that already departed. The department said it will approach Canadians who declined a seat to continually offer one.
The flights to Istanbul cost US$330 and are paid for by the passengers. Ottawa can arrange payment plans.
For months Canada has been preparing for the possibility of a full evacuation effort for citizens in Lebanon but Blair and Joly have both been clear that won’t happen while commercial airlines are still flying out of the country.
Germany has used military aircraft to evacuate the families of embassy workers and German citizens with medical issues.
The NDP has urged the Liberals to start evacuations now.
The latest escalation comes almost a year after a deadly Hamas attack in Israel on Oct. 7, in which some 1,200 people were killed and another 250 were abducted.
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 held an emergency debate on Canada’s response to the Middle East crisis and its evacuation measures, as requested by NDP foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2024.
— With files from The Associated Press
Mia Rabson, The Canadian Press