Canada Protests to Israel Over Citizen's Death in Lebanon

OTTAWA — Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand has delivered a formal diplomatic protest to Israel's ambassador in Ottawa following the killing of a Canadian citizen in Lebanon amid the ongoing conflict there.

The démarche, a official notice of concern, was issued to Ambassador Iddo Moed after the death of 38-year-old Hassan Haidar, a resident of Windsor, Ontario. Haidar's family alleges that an Israeli drone strike hit him in the head during Israel's military operations in Lebanon, which have resulted in thousands of fatalities since escalating last year. The incident occurred as Israeli forces targeted positions linked to the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.

Anand's spokeswoman confirmed that Israel's foreign ministry has committed to conducting an investigation into the matter. "Canada expects a full and transparent investigation of the death," Anand stated, describing it as "a matter of extreme concern to Canada." To press for answers, Anand directed Global Affairs Canada to arrange a meeting with Moed last week. That was followed by discussions between Canada's ambassador in Tel Aviv and officials from Israel's foreign ministry.