Montrealer fears for loved ones in Lebanon amid escalating tensions in Middle East

“What if the war happens if the war happened? What will I do?”

This is how Rita Wakim Hage a Lebanese-Montrealer spends her days, constantly following the news from Lebanon, fearing for the lives of her husband and son who live there, and hoping that tensions at the Lebanese-Israeli border doesn’t escalate into a full-out war.

“Yes, I have this fear, because it is unpredictable you know we live in an unstable political critical crisis, regional wise, the region all the region is unstable there in the Middle East,” said Hage.

Concerns about the unstable situation in Lebanon have been growing since the start of the Israel-Hamas war last October, but has gotten worse in recent weeks.

And psychological pressure is increasing day by day as Hage describes, for Lebanese abroad who have immediate family in Lebanon.

“For me actually, I have my immediate family members who are still in lebanon, my siblings my husband and son, they are still there you know they are living day by day very worried about what will happen later they live in an unstable situation,” she explained.

“I live in a mix of feelings because I feel that am very anxious and very worried about them, I am here I live in a very safe space me and my daughter but I have the other part of my family what can I do for them?”

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged Canadians to leave Lebanon and warned against travelling there.

“Canadians should not be traveling to Lebanon we had that travel advisory up for many weeks now, and any Canadians there in Lebanon should be back home,” said Trudeau.

Knowing that her family is not Canadian or permanent residents here, she says they have no safe option if a war escalates.

Rita hopes that the federal government will help bring those in Lebanon – who have family ties to Canada – here so they can be safe.

“I have a shout out to ask them to allow people who have their family here in Canada to come and join their family in Canada and give them a visa, express visa in this current situation and fear of war in Lebanon.”