Canadian special forces personnel are currently in Israel to assist Canada’s embassy with contingency planning, as confirmed by a spokesperson from the Department of National Defence to CBC News on Sunday. This deployment is in response to the potential escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, especially near the border between Israel and Lebanon. Global Affairs Canada has requested Canadian Armed Forces support to ensure a rapid response in case the security situation deteriorates significantly and evacuation assistance for Canadian citizens becomes necessary. A task force, consisting of 300 CAF members, is based in Cyprus to address this situation. The exact nature of the special forces members’ activities in the region has not been elaborated upon in the reports.