B.C. residents with ties to Lebanon watch the intensifying Middle East conflict with growing anxiety, as Israeli airstrikes and evacuation orders force civilians from their homes and heighten fears that ordinary people will suffer the heaviest toll.
The escalation follows U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei one week ago. In response, the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah launched rockets and drones from Lebanon into Israel. Israel countered with widespread airstrikes targeting southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam urges the international community to intervene, stating that Lebanon “did not choose this war.”
Personal Stories from Vancouver’s Lebanese Community
Vancouver artist Marie Khouri, who fled Lebanon during the civil war in 1975, relives traumatic memories amid the current violence. Her father was assassinated there, and she witnessed horrors as a teenager.
“My father was assassinated in Lebanon … and I saw things at the age of 14, 15, that I should have never witnessed,” Khouri said. Her sister and brother-in-law remain in Lebanon but are safe for now. “A month ago, who would have thought that the Middle East would be in flames again like it is today? I’m very scared.”
She emphasizes the lasting scars of war: “Behind every death, there’s a father, a mother, a shattered family, there’s a loss. It’s going to take years to reconstitute.”
Displacement and Humanitarian Crisis
Nicholas Kahwaji, Lebanon’s honorary consul in Vancouver, reports that many Lebanese in British Columbia anxiously track relatives dodging repeated evacuation orders. “The main concern is where are these families? Are they still alive? Are they able to go to a safe area?” he said.
Over half a million people have been displaced in days, overwhelming shelters and straining food supplies. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reports 217 killed and 798 wounded since Israeli strikes began on Monday. Evacuation orders in Beirut triggered massive traffic jams as hundreds of thousands fled.
Oxfam’s Lebanon country director, Bachir Ayoub, calls the scenes “heart-wrenching.”
Canada’s Response to the Crisis
More than 24,000 Canadians in Lebanon have registered with the federal government, and over 700 seek assistance to depart. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand outlines charter flights, reserved commercial seats, and regional support.
The Canada Border Services Agency has paused removals to Lebanon and Israel amid hostilities, excluding those inadmissible for criminality, human rights violations, organized crime, or security reasons.
Contrasting Views from Vancouver’s Iranian Community
Meanwhile, some Iranian Canadians in Vancouver celebrate the strike that killed Khamenei. Masoud Zamani, spokesperson for Mission for My Motherland, said, “We are here to celebrate the fortunate death of Iran’s dictator, who ruled Iran with an iron fist.”
Nearly 2,500 gathered Saturday outside the Vancouver Art Gallery in solidarity rallies, viewing the event as a potential turning point after years of protests and crackdowns. “Iranians have endured years of trauma,” Zamani added. “We hope for a free democratic Iran, one in which principles of democracy are observed, where all individuals with different walks of life and political beliefs can co-exist peacefully.”
Khouri reflects on the shared suffering: “That’s life when you live in the Middle East. Many Lebanese families, Iranian families, Syrian families, Palestinian families, Jewish families … we are all wounded.”
