Canadian Armed Forces personnel stationed in the Middle East remain unharmed following the interception of a missile near the Israel-Lebanon border on Sunday, according to the office of the defense minister. Reports indicated damage at Camp Naqoura, a crucial headquarters for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. The press secretary for Defence Minister David McGuinty, Maya Ouferhat, reassured that members of the Canadian military on Operation Jade are safe and have been fully accounted for.
The exact number of Canadian Armed Forces members currently participating in Operation Jade, an enduring overseas commitment initiated in the 1950s, is undisclosed. The defense minister’s office cited operational security reasons for withholding further specifics. An update on the government’s website from 2024 detailed the presence of four officers serving as United Nations military observers at that time, with an additional senior Canadian Armed Forces officer joining the task force upon request. Deployment figures are subject to change based on operational necessities.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, comprising over 10,000 personnel, is dedicated to maintaining peace in southern Lebanon. In 2006, a UN-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah aimed to end the conflict, yet renewed hostilities erupted following a Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7. Amid escalating tensions, Israel and the U.S. conducted strikes on Iran, leading to Hezbollah launching missiles towards Israel in early March, further exacerbating the situation.
Recent Israeli military actions, including targeting a bridge connecting southern Lebanon to the rest of the country and the destruction of crossings and homes near the southern border, have intensified the conflict. Criticism prompted the Canadian government to disclose information about reported damage at the UN peacekeeping camp, especially after Conservative defense critic James Bezan condemned the lack of transparency regarding a reported Iranian missile strike on an airbase in Kuwait where Canadian Armed Forces members are stationed, although no injuries were reported.
In response to escalating regional tensions involving Iran and retaliatory attacks from various Gulf countries during the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, the office of Defence Minister McGuinty confirmed the withdrawal of Canadian military and civilian personnel from Iraq, as part of NATO’s precautionary measures.