Canada Condemns Israel's 'Unlawful Invasion' of Lebanon, Pledges New Aid
BEIRUT — A Canadian government official condemned what he called Israel's "unlawful invasion" of Lebanon during a visit to announce new humanitarian aid, saying Beirut should govern its own space and have sovereignty over its lands.
Randeep Sarai, Canada's secretary of state for international development, visited Lebanon to announce new humanitarian aid to the crisis-hit country, where the U.N. says some 360,000 people remain displaced as a result of the latest conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
"We have been working actively, I think, through diplomatic channels to do whatever possible to stop that and to allow Lebanese communities that are from those areas to be able to move back," Sarai said in an interview with The Associated Press late Tuesday.
Canada's Aid and Diplomatic Push
During his visit, Sarai announced that Canada is launching three new programs in Lebanon to support vulnerable families and women, raising its total assistance to the nation so far this year to more than 71 million Canadian dollars ($50.23 million), as reported by the Associated Press, The Globe and Mail, WTOP, and India Today.
Canada, which is home to a large Lebanese diaspora, has given Lebanon about 800 million Canadian dollars ($575 million) in assistance over the past 10 years, including nearly $38 million in funding in March to provide basic necessities such as food, medical and health services.
Sarai visited shelters housing people displaced by the war and Syrian refugees during his visit. He met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who promised to reinstate state authority across Lebanon and implement reforms to fight corruption, as reported by Al Jazeera and other outlets.
Sarai expressed optimism about Lebanon's pledged reforms, saying "the world is really watching" and supportive of the government. Lebanon is struggling with an economic crisis that began in late 2019, rooted in decades of corruption.
Canada's position reflects its broader criticism of Israel's military actions in Gaza and Lebanon. Canada lists Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and has condemned its attacks on Israel.
The Conflict's Toll and Context
The latest Israel-Hezbollah war started when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel on March 2, two days after the U.S. and Israel began attacks on Iran, according to the Associated Press and other outlets. The war has killed over 4,000 people, caused wide destruction in southern Lebanon and at one point displaced over 1 million people.
Israel launched a ground invasion and is now occupying dozens of towns and villages in southern Lebanon, many of which have been almost completely demolished. Israeli officials have said they will not pull out from Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed.
Canada warned on March 25 that Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity "must not be violated" and strongly condemned plans by Israeli forces to occupy southern Lebanon, as reported by Al Jazeera.
A US-mediated framework agreement signed in late June created "pilot zones" to return small areas in southern Lebanon from Israeli forces to the Lebanese army, according to Al Jazeera. In late July, the Lebanese Armed Forces accused Israel of obstructing its efforts to take control of security in southern Lebanon.
Confrontation Over Destruction in the South
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Wednesday condemned what he said was Israel's "systematic destruction" in the country's south, calling it a violation of international law, as Defense Minister Israel Katz said its military was "destroying all the houses" there, as reported by The Times of Israel.
Salam said Israeli "attacks, incursions, demolitions and the systematic destruction of homes," infrastructure, government buildings and places of worship "represent a serious violation of the principles and rules of international law and international humanitarian law."
Claiming that villages and towns "are entirely 'military facilities' does not stand up to any logic and cannot be used as an excuse for destroying them, displacing their inhabitants and preventing them from returning," he said in a statement.
Katz visited southern Lebanon on Wednesday, vowing to keep troops in the IDF's buffer zone there and saying the military was "destroying the underground infrastructure" in the area and "destroying all the houses in the area."
"We are here above and they are below," Katz said, according to the Defense Ministry. "I have instructed the IDF to take all necessary steps to prepare for a long-term presence in the area."
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) on Wednesday said Israeli troops carried out detonations in southern villages, including in Zawtar al-Shariqya, which abuts one of the pilot zones. Lebanon's army said Israel had blown up "the municipal building in Zawtar al-Shariqya" as well as "a public school, a health clinic, a children's nursery and a number of homes."
Hezbollah is heavily entrenched in civilian infrastructure in southern Lebanon. The Iran-backed group opposes a framework deal signed in June between Israel and Lebanon that stemmed the conflict in southern Lebanon and is meant to lead to Hezbollah's disarmament and an eventual Israeli withdrawal, according to The Times of Israel.
Diplomatic Efforts and Regional Moves
The Lebanese army is meant to take over areas evacuated by Israeli troops, with two such zones existing so far. Rodolphe Haykal, chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces, met with visiting US General Joseph Clearfield to discuss developments in the south and security arrangements, while Lebanese President Joseph Aoun also met Clearfield, as reported by The Times of Israel.
Last week's US-sponsored talks ended early on their second day amid escalation in southern Lebanon. Beirut is frustrated with the pace of Israeli withdrawals, while Israel argues that verification of Hezbollah disarmament must be completed first. Israel and Lebanon are to hold an eighth round of US-sponsored negotiations next month in Rome, according to The Times of Israel.
An Israeli official denied a Reuters report that Israel agreed with Lebanon on naming Britain, Italy, Switzerland and Indonesia as potential contributors to a verification mechanism. Switzerland's foreign ministry told Reuters it is exploring ways to support "various stabilization processes," and a British Foreign Office spokesperson said Britain is ready to support efforts to de-escalate tensions and long-term security, particularly in southern Lebanon.
Fire Allegations and IDF Response
Firefighters in Lebanon told the Guardian that the IDF has purposely been starting fires in the border area, according to The Times of Israel. Hussein Fakih, head of civil defense in the Nabatieh area, said around 30-40% of the land near the frontline has been affected by fires.
The IDF said its activities are "conducted while taking precautionary measures to mitigate harm to civilians and the environment." The IDF also said its air defenses launched an interceptor toward a target later determined to be gunfire by Israeli troops, with no injuries and the incident being investigated.
Amnesty for Ex-SLA Families
In a separate development, Lebanon's parliament passed a general amnesty law allowing families of ex-SLA fighters who fled to Israel to return, as reported by The Times of Israel. Thousands of SLA fighters and their families fled to Israel in 2000 when the IDF pulled out of southern Lebanon. MP Ghana Ayoub of the Christian Lebanese Forces party said the amnesty opens the path for ex-SLA families to return to Lebanon.
Syria's Refugees and Canada's Broader Efforts
Canada is trying to help create a safe environment in Syria with access to food, drinking water and schools, so that more refugees can return, as Sarai said during his visit. At one point during Syria's nearly 14-year civil war, Lebanon hosted an estimated 1.5 million refugees, according to the Associated Press and other outlets. Some half-million Syrians have returned since former Syrian President Bashar Assad was ousted in December 2024, according to Lebanon's social affairs minister.