Australia evacuates Pacific citizens stuck in Israel
Kat Wong |
Almost 200 people, including 96 from Pacific countries, have been evacuated from Tel Aviv overnight by the Australian government.
With the prime minister of Fiji arriving in Australia on Tuesday and increasing importance placed on ties with Pacific countries, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced his government’s support of repatriation efforts for neighbouring nations.
“Australia is playing the role we always play in the Pacific family, to provide support where we can because obviously they don’t have the capacity to be able to help their citizens,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
“That is one way Australia is helping not only our own citizens but others as well.”
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says at least 45 Australians remain trapped in Gaza with limited access to water, electricity, fuel and food after Israel imposed a total blockade on the conflict-stricken territory.
The government has previously told citizens to move to the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, in case a humanitarian window opens but there is no guarantee this will eventuate or how long it might remain open.
“This situation is obviously extremely difficult,” Mr Marles told ABC on Tuesday.
“We are looking at ways – and working hard to find ways – in which we can get those people to safety and that includes working with other countries around the establishment of a humanitarian corridor out of Gaza.”
The government was working closely with the Australians in Palestine, some of whom are believed to be trapped in the region with their families and children, Mr Marles said.
Israel has begun amassing its forces to strike Islamist terrorist group Hamas, after an October 7 attack that has now killed more than 1300 of its people and led to more than 150 being taken hostage, making it the deadliest day in the nation’s history.
The Israeli Defence Force has retaliated by laying siege to the 2.3 million Palestinians living in Gaza and unleashing a continuous bombing campaign that has killed at least 2750 in the territory.
The Gazan civilians have no power, water is scarce and the dwindling fuel sources used for emergency generators could run out within the next day.
The United Nations says about one million Gazans have been driven from their homes.
Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham called for the release of hostages.
“The least (Hamas) could do is release those hostages as a step that could open that border crossing and secure the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza and enable those Australians and other foreign nationals to exist safely,” he told ABC Radio on Monday.
More than 1200 Australians have already been evacuated from Israel and Palestine.
AAP
