Ship, extra CAF members deployed near Lebanon in case of evacuation needs: defence minister
CTV
Defence Minister Bill Blair says there is a ship in place near Lebanon, as well as 150 deployed additional Canadian Armed Forces members prepared for a military-assisted departure of stranded Canadians, if more violence in the region requires it.
Defence Minister Bill Blair says there is a ship in place near Lebanon, as well as 150 deployed additional Canadian Armed Forces members prepared for a military-assisted departure of stranded Canadians, if more violence in the region requires it.
Global Affairs Canada (GAC) is also working on "another commercial option with a charter aircraft" in the next couple days, Blair said.
"It's a scalable response that we are putting in place," Blair said in an interview with CTV's Question Period host Vassy Kapelos, airing Sunday. "We know that some people may just need some assistance to get to a place of egress, an airport or a port, and we are prepared to provide military-assisted departure."
Further escalation in the conflict between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah is raising fears of an expanded war in the region, with U.S. President Joe Biden telling the United Nations on Tuesday that "full-scale war is not in anyone's interest."
But calls for a ceasefire do not appear to be breaking through, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also telling the United Nations on Friday that Israel will continue to hit Hezbollah with full force.
Canadian officials have raised concerns about the risk of escalation, and for months have been urging the estimated 45,000 Canadians in Lebanon to leave while commercial flights are still available.
When asked by Kapelos whether GAC has the capacity to evacuate the 20,000 Canadians currently registered with the department from the country, Blair said "yes."
