WASHINGTON

Canada on Tuesday strongly condemned Israel’s plan to occupy territory in southern Lebanon, calling for respect for the country’s sovereignty and an end to escalating hostilities.

“Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must not be violated. Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel must cease and they must disarm,” Canada's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the US social media company X’s platform.

The statement also reaffirmed Canada’s solidarity with the Lebanese government and its people, adding: “We urge all parties to protect civilians, refrain from attacks on infrastructure, health workers and peacekeepers and act in accordance with international law.”

The development comes amid reports that Israel plans to occupy the first line of villages in southern Lebanon as a security measure against rocket fire.

The Hezbollah group has fired barrages of rockets into Israel since early March in response to what it described as continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon despite a ceasefire that took effect between Israel and Lebanon in November 2024 as well as the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on Feb. 28.