Canadian official condemns Israel’s 'unlawful invasion' and announces new aid to Lebanon
- Canada’s secretary of state for international development, Randeep Sarai, called Israel’s presence in southern Lebanon an “unlawful invasion” during a visit to Beirut.
- Sarai said Canada is announcing three new aid programs for Lebanon, bringing its support this year to more than 71 million Canadian dollars.
- The United Nations says about 360,000 people remain displaced in Lebanon because of the latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict.
- Canada has criticized Israeli military actions in Gaza and Lebanon, while also designating Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and condemning its attacks on Israel.
- Sarai met Lebanon’s president and prime minister and said Canada hopes the government can restore state authority and carry out reforms.
Canada’s top international development official in the article, Randeep Sarai, used a visit to Beirut to criticize Israel’s military presence in southern Lebanon and to announce new humanitarian support for Lebanon. He said Beirut should govern its own territory and that Canada has been working through diplomatic channels to help stop the fighting and allow people to return home.
Sarai said Canada is launching three new programs in Lebanon to support vulnerable families and women. He said the new aid raises Canada’s assistance to Lebanon this year to more than 71 million Canadian dollars, and noted that Canada has provided about 800 million Canadian dollars over the past decade.
The report says the latest Israel-Hezbollah war began after Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel on March 2, two days after U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran. According to the article, the conflict has killed more than 4,000 people, caused major destruction in southern Lebanon, and displaced more than 1 million people at one point.
Sarai visited shelters for displaced people and Syrian refugees and met with President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. He said Canada wants a safe environment in Syria so refugees can return when they choose, and he expressed optimism about Lebanon’s planned reforms amid its continuing economic crisis.
加拿大官员谴责以色列对黎巴嫩的“非法入侵”并宣布新的援助
文中提到，加拿大负责国际发展事务的高级官员兰迪普·萨赖在贝鲁特访问期间，批评以色列在黎巴嫩南部的军事存在，并宣布向黎巴嫩提供新的援助。他表示，贝鲁特应当管理自己的领土，加拿大一直在通过外交渠道努力推动停止冲突，让民众能够返回家园。
萨赖说，加拿大将启动三个新的黎巴嫩援助项目，重点支持弱势家庭和妇女。他表示，这使加拿大今年对黎巴嫩的援助总额增至超过7100万加元，并提到过去十年加拿大已向黎巴嫩提供约8亿加元援助。
报道说，最新一轮以色列与真主党战争始于3月2日真主党向以色列北部发射火箭弹，时间是在美国和以色列对伊朗发动袭击两天后。文中称，这场冲突已造成4000多人死亡，黎巴嫩南部遭受严重破坏，且一度导致超过100万人流离失所。
萨赖在访问期间还探访了安置流离失所者和叙利亚难民的收容点，并会见了总统约瑟夫·奥恩和总理纳瓦夫·萨拉姆。他说，加拿大希望叙利亚形成安全环境，让难民在愿意时能够返回，并对黎巴嫩推进改革表示乐观。