Government issues travel warning for Lebanon, suggests Canadians leave

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There have now been five Canadians confirmed killed amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, and Canadians in Lebanon are also now being advised to consider leaving, the federal government said Sunday.

The government of Canada has now confirmed the increased death toll — up from four dead as of Saturday — and officials continue to follow up on the cases of three other missing Canadians.

Global Affairs Canada's assistant deputy minister for consular security and emergency management Julie Sunday made the announcement during a technical briefing in Ottawa, as a protest over the crisis was underway on Parliament Hill.

The latest confirmed casualty was previously included in the government's tally of missing Canadians.

"It has always been a possibility that missing persons would be confirmed deceased... It is an extremely tragic outcome," Sunday said. "Our thoughts are with the families in all of these cases."

"We are very focused on addressing the cases of the three missing persons, who we continue to try to locate and bring back to safety in Canada."

Last weekend, Hamas militants attacked Israel and took hostages, leading to a barrage of retaliatory air strikes in Gaza. Thousands of people have been killed, injured, and displaced as a result of the conflict.

Providing an update on the team of experts Canada sent to assist with hostage negotiation, while still not commenting on whether there are any Canadians among the hundreds of hostages, the assistant deputy minister said the group is currently working out of Tel Aviv to connect with counterparts.

"There's a broad group of missing persons in Israel right now, and so there are many partners on the ground. I know our team has been — in addition to counterparts in Israel — has been in discussions also with the United States officials there who are working on these issues," Sunday said.

"We are very much benefiting from the broader discussions, we are able to get information in real time, you know, face to face, which is really important to being able to action and try to resolve these cases."

As of end of day Sunday, an estimated 1,000 Canadians and their families will have been repatriated from Israel to Athens via a Canadian Armed Forces military airlift operation that saw two flights a day shuttle those looking to leave out of the conflict zone.

Global Affairs Canada has responded to more than 800 inquiries in the last 24 hours, and approximately 4,200 inquiries since the beginning of the crisis.

WEST BANK, GAZA CHALLENGES PERSIST

There are currently more than 6,800 Canadians registered in Israel, and more than 450 in the West Bank and Gaza. Among these, the government is currently assisting more than 3,300 Canadians, permanent residents and their families, Sunday said.

As an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ground offensive in Gaza is "pretty close" to unfolding, civilians are being ordered to find a way out of the region.

While approximately 300 Canadians and their families continue to seek assistance departing Gaza, the federal government says it is still trying to find a safe window to facilitate their departure after Saturday's plans to exit through Egypt fell through.

"Nobody got through that gate yesterday," Sunday said, noting Canada remains "extremely hopeful" that work underway by allied countries and aid organizations will see a humanitarian corridor open.

"The situation remains extremely fluid and insecure," Sunday said, noting the challenge in trying to seek assurances from Hamas, as well as the challenges communicating with those in Gaza given the impacted that downed electricity is having on telecommunications.

On Friday, consular staff called close to 50 families to inform them that while it remains unclear who may be permitted to pass, should a corridor open, it could be open for a very short window.

"We have emphasized that people need to ensure their own safety and security when they're travelling, that they need to be prepared… and that should an opportunity arise that being close to that border would be a benefit," Sunday said.

"But again, individuals are having to make really difficult decisions… We are not telling people to go straight to that border until we have an understanding that there will be an opening."

Plans for ground transportation through Jordan are still being made for those in the West Bank, who the government says will be given more information "in the coming days."

"We are ready to start a land transportation option as early as tomorrow. But it's complicated," Sunday said, going on to describe a tentative two-bus plan that would see one bus shuttle Canadians from Ramallah and across the West Bank, through Allenby Gate. From there, passengers would switch busses to be brought into Jordan.

NEW TRAVEL WARNING FOR LEBANON

In the briefing — now becoming a daily occurrence — officials from Global Affairs Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Department of National Defence spoke to the latest developments.

This included a new warning to the approximately 14,500 Canadian citizens and permanent residents registered in Lebanon: that Lebanon is becoming increasingly unstable and they should avoid all travel to the area along the Israel border, and consider leaving if they don't need to be there.

Further, officials are strongly advising anyone considering travelling to avoid all non-essential travel to Lebanon due to "security risks." This concern is based on activity at the border being reported in media, and military assessments of the impact of the conflict potentially spilling over.

"Whole of government planning is actively taking place to prepare for all possible scenarios," Sunday said. "This is simply not the time to go there… The situation is volatile, and if you don't need to be there you should consider leaving, while commercial means are still available."

The government is also advising Canadians in Jordan about possible large scale protests in the area, and to avoid demonstrations and gatherings.

In the course of her visit through the region, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly has "engaged" with the Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian and Qatari foreign ministers, as well as the commissioner general for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.