2 Canadians killed in Lebanon, Global Affairs Canada confirms amid Israel-Hezbollah conflict

Aid worker describes the current state in Lebanon Aid worker Faraz Yousufzai says he visited a school where there was an airstrike nearby and people just carried on with their day.

Two Canadians are among those killed in southern Lebanon, Global Affairs Canada confirmed late Tuesday. While GAC has not confirmed their names due to privacy, family members told CTV News the two people killed are husband and wife Hussein and Daad Tabaja.

“It’s devastating for the family,” the couple’s son, Kamal Tabaja, told CTV National News. “I don’t know what you want to call it, it’s like a dark dream.”

Tabaja said his parents were trying to leave their home in southern Lebanon and were stuck in heavy traffic when they were hit by an airstrike. Family members had been trying to reach them for hours, and Tabaja said eventually their burnt-out BMW was found in a ditch.

He said his parents’ bodies were badly burned but his mother’s watch was found inside the vehicle.

While the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) had given people living in Lebanon’s south warning to leave ahead of ramped up airstrikes, Tabaja said people like his parents were not given enough time, and that his parents spent hours in traffic trying to flee.

“They bombarded the roads,” he said of the IDF. “Bombarded people who have nothing to do with this conflict.”

CTV News has reached out to the IDF and the Embassy of Israel in Canada for comment

Husein and Daad Tabaja lived in southern Lebanon. They were also Canadian citizens and moved to Ottawa in the 1990s to raise their six children.

Global Affairs Canada (GAC) said they are aware of the deaths of two Canadians and are closely monitoring the situation.

“The Government of Canada is reiterating that Canadians should leave now, while the airport is still accessible and commercial airline options remain available,” GAC told CTV News in a statement.

Canada is not, at this point, offering assisted departures or evacuations to Canadians in Lebanon.

“There is never a guarantee the Canadian government will evacuate Canadians in a crisis situation. Canadians should not rely on the Government of Canada for assisted departure or evacuation,” wrote GAC, calling evacuations from foreign countries a measure of “last resort.”

It also encouraged Canadians abroad to ensure their travel documents are up-to-date and accessible. People requiring consular assistance in Lebanon should call [phone] to reach Canada’s local embassy.