Hundreds of Australians trying to get out of Israel
Hundreds of Australian citizens are trying to get onto government-sponsored repatriation flights out of Israel, with two planes due to depart Tel Aviv for London in the next 24 hours.
“There is a significant demand on the part of a number of Australians to leave and we’re doing everything we can to provide that assistance,” Defence Minister Richard Marles told Nine’s Today show on Friday.
Asked how many, Marles said, “It’s measured in the hundreds”.
There are an estimated 10,000 Australian citizens in Israel, including dual citizens and tourists.
“It’s not about moving all of them, most of them are wanting to stay,” Marles said.
The government has organised two Qantas flights which are due to depart Ben Gurion International Airport on Friday for London.
From there, the government will be looking at what assistance can be provided to get people back to Australia.
“But obviously, the priority is getting those who want to leave Israel out of Israel,” Marles said.
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The exodus of Australians comes after the Islamist group Hamas attacked the country’s south from Gaza on Saturday, killing more than 1000 people and taking hostages.
In retaliation, the Israel Defence Force launched a counter offensive and bombed militant targets in Gaza, and is now preparing for a ground war to “destroy” Hamas.
The Israeli death toll has risen to more than 1300. Most were civilians gunned down in their homes, on the streets and at a dance party.
Israel says 97 Israeli and foreign hostages were taken back to Gaza.
Gaza authorities say more than 1400 Palestinians have been killed and more than 6000 have been wounded in the retaliatory strikes.
Among those killed in Israel was Australian grandmother Galit Carbone, 66, who died at the hands of the Hamas militants who attacked her village near the Gaza border.
Meanwhile, the Australian Muslim Advocacy Network (AMAN) has criticised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for backing Israel’s bombing campaign.
Albanese has said Israel has a right to defend itself against Hamas.
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“Hundreds of Palestinian civilians also lost their lives,” the network said in a statement.
“(He has) denied many grieving communities public empathy or support”.
The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils has called on the government to expand its repatriation efforts to Palestinians caught up in the conflict.
“The planned repatriation should include real support to those that are stranded in Gaza and the West Bank,” council president Rateb Jneid said.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is demanding non-Australian citizens who preach anti-Semitic hate speech at pro-Palestinian rallies to be deported.
“People with that hate in their minds in their hearts – they don’t have any place in our society,” he said on Thursday.
Australia’s national terrorism threat level remains at “possible”.
But Australian Security Intelligence Organisation director-general Mike Burgess is concerned about pro-Palestine rallies set to go ahead in Australian cities on Friday and over the weekend.
“I remain concerned about the potential for opportunistic violence with little or no warning,” he said on Thursday.
Burgess said ASIO was well positioned to detect threats to security, such as politically motivated violence, and would carefully monitor the situation.
-AAP
