OTTAWA — Canada is condemning Israel for striking Lebanon hours after an apparent ceasefire was struck in the Middle East conflict and is calling on Hezbollah to disarm in favour of diplomatic solutions.
Despite an 11th-hour ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, Israel attacked Beirut on Wednesday in a renewed effort to strike at the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.
Those blasts killed at least 203 people and wounded hundreds more in the deadliest day of the war in Lebanon since the latest conflict began on Feb. 28.
“We strongly condemn the airstrikes launched by Israel across Lebanon, including in Beirut, which killed civilians and targeted civilian infrastructure,” Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said in a media statement Thursday.
“At the same time, we strongly condemn Hezbollah’s indiscriminate attacks against Israel and its people.”
Anand called on Israel to “respect Lebanon’s territorial integrity.” She also said Hezbollah, which Canada has designated as a terrorist entity, must “immediately disarm” and abide by the decisions of the Lebanese government.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters he is not considering sanctions on Israel for its attacks on Lebanon.
Anand called on Israel and Hezbollah “to implement and adhere to a permanent ceasefire.”
Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran just hours before a Tuesday night deadline he had set for a mass bombing campaign. Iran and Pakistan, which helped to broker the deal, insisted Lebanon was to be included in the ceasefire, but Israel and the U.S. said it was not.
Iran has threatened strong responses to the attack on Beirut. It also closed off access to the Strait of Hormuz again Wednesday, after agreeing in the ceasefire deal to start allowing ships to pass through the waterway. About one-fifth of the world’s oil trade goes through the strait, and its closure has cause widespread energy shortages, particularly in Asia.
The Associated Press reported Thursday that talks between Israel and Lebanon are expected to start next week in Washington to support the tentative ceasefire in the Iran war.
Speaking at a media event at the Port of Montreal on Thursday, Carney said the ceasefire is “very fragile” but insisted the end of hostilities in the Middle East must include Lebanon.
“That certainly had been the understanding and that needs to be the reality on the ground,” he said.
A reporter asked Carney whether he would consider sanctioning Israel in response to its attacks. He brushed off the suggestion.
“Canada will use its offices, its influence, to support. I wouldn’t go to what you’re suggesting as the method at this point, at this delicate point in time in order to advance, but the ceasefire needs to include Lebanon and needs to include it now,” he said.
Carney added Thursday that Hezbollah “needs to be brought under control.”
The prime minister was among the world leaders who signed a statement issued Wednesday calling on all sides to implement a ceasefire, including in Lebanon. That statement was reissued Thursday, with more than 10 additional world leaders adding their names to the statement.
Trump met with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Wednesday for a closed-door meeting. Trump has harshly criticized NATO allies for not coming to the United States’ aid after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, and had floated pulling the U.S. out of NATO ahead of the meeting.
After the meeting, Trump issued another all-caps comment on social media: “NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN.” The White House did not immediately offer any further updates.
Carney was asked Thursday whether he has concerns about the stability of NATO.
In response, he pointed to Canada’s recent efforts with a subset of NATO allies to secure the Arctic. He also cited his government recently meeting the alliance’s benchmark for military spending of two per cent of GDP.
“That’s a robust way of protecting Canadians, regardless of how NATO itself evolves. But of course, what we are at the core is, we’re a strong NATO member, we’re going to continue to support its evolution,” Carney said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2026.
— with files from Morgan Lowrie in Montreal and The Associated Press
Craig Lord, The Canadian Press
