More than 1,000 passengers have left Lebanon on flights booked by Canada, GAC says

OTTAWA — Global Affairs Canada says it has now helped more than 1,000 passengers leave Lebanon as the conflict between Israel and the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah intensifies.

The department says one flight on Saturday open to Canadians in Lebanon carried 126 passengers, and another on Sunday carried 139 out of the country.

The department continues to urge Canadians to flee Lebanon, and says it has offered flights in the past week to more than 5,000 Canadians, permanent residents and immediate family members who have expressed an interest in leaving.

It says the passengers it has helped include Canadians, permanent residents and immediate family members, as well as nationals from countries including the U.S., Argentina, Australia among several others.

It says as of Sunday, there were more than 25,000 Canadians registered as being in Lebanon, but Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has said some 45,000 Canadians could be in the country.

The department says commercial flights continue to be available to a range of destinations, with departures in the coming days.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2024.