The Australian government is planning to launch multiple flights to repatriate citizens from Israel, an announcement that comes a day after the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the flights were suspended.
“We continue working on options for Australians wanting to leave the Occupied Palestinian Territories,” she added.
It comes after the government said that it was cancelling two flights intended to evacuate citizens from Israel and Palestinian territories in wake of the Hamas attack.
The government is committed to continue working to ensure that Australians in Israel who want to leave may do so as soon as possible. It is also discouraging Australians from travelling to Gaza and near the border.
Earlier, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Qantas has made its facilities available for flights to travel from Ben Gurion Airport to London.
“We are assessing all options to get Australians home as soon as possible who wish to travel back here. We’ve been working on those contingencies over recent times and we will continue to do so across the range of issues as a result of the appalling and abhorrent attacks by Hamas that we saw on the weekend,” Mr. Albanese said last Oct. 11.
Meanwhile, the DFAT said that the Australian government is providing an initial $10 million (US$6.3 million) in humanitarian assistance for civilians affected by the conflict in Gaza.
Broken down, the government will give $7 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross to fund urgent needs such as restoring essential services and extending medical support to victims of the conflict.
The remaining $3 million will be allocated to deliver critical support including emergency water, nutrition, sanitation and hygiene services, and child protection through United Nations agencies.
“We have seen devastating loss of innocent life since the heinous attacks on Israel by brutal terrorist group Hamas,” Ms. Wong said.
“We continue to call for the unconditional release of all hostages. We stand with Israel and reiterate its right to defend itself.”
Ms. Wong has faced criticism for her call to exercise restraint and ensure the protection of civilian lives.
Concerns for Palestinian Civilian Safety
A United Nations expert has called for the international community to urgently mediate a ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed terrorist group Hamas, saying the Palestinians are at risk of mass ethnic cleansing due to the tensions.“The United Nations and its Member States must intensify efforts to mediate an immediate ceasefire between the parties, before we reach a point of no return,” Francesca Albanese, U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory, said.
“The international community has the responsibility to prevent and protect populations from atrocity crimes,” she said, noting that there must be accountability for international crimes committed in the war.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirming his support for Israel while raising concerns about the safety of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
Israel has already warned the people in Gaza city to evacuate immediately, as it prepares to launch a ground offensive. The country has also cut off all water, electricity, and food to the region.
U.S. Secretary Antony Blinken also called for the protection of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza strip.
“As Israel pursues its legitimate right, to defending its people and to trying to ensure that this never happens again, it is vitally important that all of us look out for civilians, and we’re working together to do exactly that,” Mr. Blinken said.
