Canada pulls diplomats’ families out of Israel as fears of a spiral grow

The Canadian government is pulling the children of diplomats out of Tel Aviv as fears rise that escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah could spiral into an all-out war.

“Due to the increased risk of escalating conflict in the Middle East, Global Affairs Canada approved the temporary relocation of dependent children and their legal guardians from Tel Aviv to a safe third country,” said Global Affairs Canada in a statement late Wednesday.

Ottawa says the Canadian embassies in Israel, Lebanon, and the Representative Office of Canada to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah remain open.

Similar evacuation efforts are not underway in Beirut or Ramallah because “there are no dependent children under 18” accompanying diplomatic staff, says Global Affairs.

Ottawa has urged Canadians to avoid all travel to Israel, Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank.

The “temporary relocation” of diplomats’ families comes as the military is also assisting the embassy in Beirut with “contingency planning” and weighing “upcoming threats that may result in requests to support Canadians and Canadian interests.”

There are more than 23,000 Canadians citizens registered in Lebanon, but federal officials have warned Canadians in the region not to count on an evacuation and to leave while commercial options remain available.

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) are “currently pre-positioning assets in the Eastern Mediterranean region to enable Global Affairs Canada (GAC) with planning and logistical support,” said the Department of Defence in a statement.

“The forward positioning of assets is part of standard CAF preparatory activities that support planning and liaison activities with other government departments and agencies, as well as information sharing