Hundreds of Canadians have fled Lebanon on government-booked flights, Joly says

Global Affairs Canada (GAC) says only about a third of the 1,700 Canadians in Lebanon who have been contacted by the department and offered seats on outgoing flights have taken up the government's offer.

In a technical briefing Tuesday afternoon, a senior GAC official said 100 people fled the country Saturday on a Middle East Airlines flight from Beirut toIstanbul, using tickets booked by GAC. Those passengers are still responsible for covering the $330 UScost of their tickets.

Another 200 Canadians were aboard a Middle East Airlines charter flightbooked by GAC on Tuesday. The GAC official said there were "a few" no-shows, adding that's theindustry standard for airlines.

GACofficials say the department has three more flights out of Lebanon booked for Thursday and Friday, bringingthe total number of seats made available on all five flights close to 1,000.

The House of Commons is set to hold an emergency debate this evening on the crisis in Lebanon as Israel's ground incursion intensifies fears of a full-scale invasion.

Earlier in the day, Foreign Affairs MinisterMlanieJolytold reporters outside the House of Commons that only half of those contacted about flights out of Lebanon took up the federal government's offer, and that 400 Canadians had flown out of Lebanon on GAC-arranged tickets since Saturday.

GAC officials later clarified those numbers in the technical briefing to media.

"If you are offered a seat, please take it. It is time to leave Lebanon now," Joly said.

"The reality is the seats that we have been securing have not all been taken."

Joly has said there are about 45,000 Canadians in Lebanon and she has warned for months that evacuation might not be possible if commercial flights stop.

GAC officials say 20,000 Canadians are registered with the department'sRegistration of Canadians Abroad program. All of them were sent intake formsoffering more information on how to obtain a GAC commercial airline booking.

WATCH |'This is a very dangerous time,' Joly says

This is a very dangerous time for the Middle East, says Joly following Iran's attacks on Israel

10 hours ago

Duration 2:15

Foreign Affairs Minister Mlanie Joly says the attacks must stop and Canada is following all developments very closely. Joly says about 200 Canadians were able to get out of Lebanon over the weekend.

Joly said only 4,000 people filled out the intake form a 20 per cent response rate. GACsays it has contacted 1,700 of those people so far.

Last week, Joly announced her department had started booking blocks of seats on commercial airlines to facilitate Canadians's departure from Lebanon. Those who can't afford a ticket can obtain loansthrough a GACconsular program.

Defence Minister Bill Blair said recentlythat while the government is getting Canadians out of Lebanon, thoseindividuals will be responsible for making their own travel arrangements after they leave Lebanon.

MPsstart emergency debate

Later Tuesday evening, members of Parliament held an emergency debate on how Ottawa should respond to the Israeli ground operationand the airstrikes that have destroyed apartment buildings in Beirut.

Israel says it's undertaking a limited incursion and that its actions are aimed at ending Hezbollah's rocket attacks on northern Israel. Israeli citizens evacuated the region months ago.

Israeli strikes have killed Hezbollah's longtime leaderHassan Nasrallah. They've also killed civilians, including two Canadians whose sons say were trying to flee to safety on a congested highway.

"Every member of this House must unequivocally condemn this horrific escalation by Iran," saidNDP MP Heather McPhersonat the start of the debate, which she requested.

Sheaddedthe world has not done enough to de-escalate the situation.

"Civilians in Israel,Gaza, Lebanon, in the wider region, are paying the price for the failures of world leaders," she said. "The world is on the brink of further violence because we have not been holding political leaders to the standards of international law."