Canada tells citizens to leave Lebanon now while flights still available

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Tuesday urged citizens in Lebanon that they should leave the country while commercial flights were still available, amid mounting instability in the Middle East.

"If you are in Lebanon, it is now time to leave while commercial flights are available," Joly told reporters.

Canadians in Tel Aviv and the West Bank who wanted to leave should take advantage of military flights that Ottawa is operating to Athens, she said.

"We don't know how long this operation will be able to continue as the situation is very volatile," Joly said.

Canada has evacuated 1,300 people so far.