Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil urged Australians in the Middle East to evacuate immediately in light of the rapidly deteriorating conflict, warning terror could spread within the nation.
More than 500 Palestinians are dead and hundreds more injured after an airstrike hit a hospital in Gaza, with Israel pointing the finger at terrorists for the horrific attack.
The death toll has soared to 3,000 in Gaza, while 1,400 have died in Israel.
Ms O’Neil has confirmed the number of Australians trapped in the warzone has risen overnight to 46, while the government works furiously to repatriate them to safety.
More than 500 Palestinians are dead and hundreds more injured after an airstrike targeted a hospital in Gaza. Picture: Abed Zagout/Anadolu via Getty Images
The death toll is expected to rise after the airstrike on Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza on Tuesday. Picture: Ali Jadallah/Anadolu via Getty Images
She heightened her warning to those abroad, urging citizens to take the first option out of the region.
“We are urging people, if you are in Israel at the moment and you are in Israel at the moment and you want to leave, leave immediately,” she said on Sunrise on Wednesday.
“Take the first flight that is offered to you. Don’t think about other options that you might wait and see. The situation in the Middle East is deteriorating rapidly. We are urging people if you want to leave, to leave.
“There are planeloads coming back with empty seats on them as people who say that they want to leave then later decide not to. And I just say again, if you and your family want to leave Israel, take the first flight that is offered to you and get back to Australia as quick as you can.”
The Home Affairs Minister said she has been in “constant contact” with Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Director Mike Burgess on the terror threat at home in light of the recent spate of rogue attacks across the globe.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil urged Australians in the Middle East to evacuate now in light of the rapidly deteriorating conflict. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman
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She said the terror threat in Australia remains “possible”.
“What has changed is the vigilance and focus of Australian Government security officials on the problem of domestic security. That is because there are increased levels of anxiety and tension in the Australian community at the moment,” she said on Sunrise.
“I want Australians to think about their duties to each other as citizens at a time like this. We’ve got a beautiful multicultural country here because people think and care for one another as neighbours and we just need to take that attitude with us as we go forward.”
Ms O’Neil, however, stressed security officials and authorities are “watching very, very closely and carefully”.
There are about 1,200 Australians currently in contact with Canberra, as another repatriation flight is scheduled to depart Tel Aviv on Wednesday.
The first batch of Australians arrived back home on Tuesday night, with heartwarming scenes emerging from Sydney’s International Airport. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE/Monique Harmer
Qatar Airways repatriation flight from Dubai brought home 164 Australians out of the Middle East. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE/Monique Harmer
There has been 1,500 Australians who have already evacuated the Middle East, 13 of those on flights organised by Fiji.
The first batch of Australians arrived back home on Tuesday night, with heartwarming scenes emerging from Sydney’s International Airport.
The flight from Dubai carried 222 passengers, with 164 of them Australians.
At the same time, another 194 people were flown out from Tel Aviv to safety in Dubai. They are currently awaiting a flight from Dubai to Australia.
Australians in Israel or Palestine who want to leave and need assistance with departure should register via http://crisis.dfat.gov.au/crisisportal/s/ or call the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 (from overseas) or 1300 555 135 (from within Australia).
(Sky News)
