The foreign minister, Penny Wong, has urged Australians who want to leave Israel to act immediately, after the first of four Australian-government-backed repatriation flights landed in London on Satuday.
Penny Wong said on Saturday that the Qantas-operated flight from Tel Aviv landed at Heathrow airport earlier on Saturday carrying 238 people. Overall, about 825 Australians had departed Israel and the occupied territories, she said.
“My department continues to assist a number of Australians seeking to leave Gaza, numbering about 20,” Wong said.
A second repatriation flight is due to leave on Saturday from Tel Aviv to Dubai. The government announced on Friday it would arrange an extra two charter flights, taking the total number to four.
“If you wish to leave, please take the first available flight,” Wong said. “Please do not wait for another option. I would emphasise the situation on the ground is changing quickly. It is extremely difficult. I also know that not everyone can easily get to the airport and the security situation is very dangerous in some areas.”
She again stated the government’s position, condemning the attacks on Israel by Hamas and calling for a release of all hostages.
The Australian government described the situation in the region as “highly challenging and rapidly changing” but said on Friday there had been “no evacuation” of the Australian embassy in Tel Aviv.
Israel has begun the process of burying the victims of last weekend’s attacks by Hamas militants, with the death toll in Israel standing at 1,300 including children, while authorities have confirmed the identities of nearly 100 of the people taken hostage into Gaza.
Gaza’s health ministry said more than 1,500 Palestinians had been killed amid Israeli strikes since Saturday, including 500 children. Human Rights Watch said it had concluded Israel had used white phosphorus in military operations over the Gaza City port and two rural locations along the Israel-Lebanon border.
The Australian foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said the government was aware of 19 Australians in Gaza. “Obviously the situation in Gaza is extremely difficult,” Wong told reporters in Adelaide.
“We are engaging with Egypt, as is the US, about seeking to establish humanitarian corridors.”
Wong and the transport minister, Catherine King, later announced that the government had “secured additional assisted-departure flights for Australians affected by the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories”.
The government-supported charter service is expected to undertake at least two flights departing Ben Gurion airport for Dubai.
Those will operate separately from the two already announced Qantas flights from Ben Gurion airport to London. The Qantas flights will operate on Friday and Sunday.
“The Australian government will continue to work on options for onward travel from Dubai and to support those who cannot reach Tel Aviv,” Wong and King said in a statement.
“Land border crossings to Jordan remain open. Australians should confirm the status of these crossings prior to departure.
“Departures from Gaza are challenging due to the dangerous security situation.”
Wong said if people wished to leave the region and were able to do so they should not delay their departure.
A church group of about 30 Australians from Newcastle was on a tour of Israel when Hamas struck. Most members of the group have managed to leave, but five are still stranded.
Brittany West’s parents were leading the tour, and arrived back in Australia on Thursday. She said the others have registered for a repatriation flight but were unsure what else to do, considering those flights were at that stage only expected to go to London, and they already have other commercial flights booked back home.
“We just don’t know which will be going, which will be cancelled, so we’ve registered for the repatriation flight. But they don’t qualify if they’ve booked a commercial flight … do they cancel their flight? And what if they don’t get on that?”.
West said they were in the same hotel they had been in all along, and “safe enough for now”.
“They’re still having to run to the bomb shelter every time the missiles come in and the sirens go off,” she said.
“The lady I spoke to said as their group size dwindles, they’re feeling more alone and fearful.”
Her parents are happy to be back, but won’t relax until everyone’s home, she said.
Qantas later announced that it would fly an Airbus A380 from London to Sydney (via Singapore) on Tuesday to help Australians get back home, after requests from the Australian government. The plane departing London will have 484 seats.
“Passengers on these flights are travelling free of charge, with the costs being covered by Qantas,” the airline said in a statement.
Qantas said, however, that the “uncertain situation in the region” meant that the flights were “subject to ongoing safety and security assessments, and regulatory approvals in several countries”.
The airline – which has suffered reputation issues in recent months – also praised its staff for wanting to help out.
“More than 900 Qantas crew put their hands up to operate these flights, far exceeding the 70 required. We sincerely thank all of them, and all those working behind the scenes to make these special assistance flights possible.”
Ran Porat, an Israeli academic living in Melbourne, has plenty of family still in the Middle East. “My family has been directly affected, but thankfully no casualties,” he said.
“One of my nephews was at that rave in the south that was attacked. He had to hide for more than a day … we were lucky that he was recovered unharmed.”
Despite a report on Friday morning of a possible evacuation of the Australian embassy in Israel, a Dfat spokesperson said staff and their families remained in place.
“All Australian diplomats, their families and locally engaged staff are accounted for, and remain safe,” the spokesperson said.
Additional reporting by Amy Remeikis
