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Key Points
- Two repatriation flights will leave Israel’s international airport on Friday.
- Some 1,600 Australians in Israel, and 19 in Gaza, have registered.
- It comes as Israel prepares for a potential ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza.
Hundreds of Australian citizens are preparing to get on government-sponsored repatriation flights out of Israel, with two planes due to depart Tel Aviv for London in the next 24 hours.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says 1,600 people have registered in Israel or the West Bank, including 19 in Gaza, for repatriation and an “extraordinary logistical exercise” is underway.
The government has organised two Qantas flights which are due to depart Ben Gurion International Airport on Friday for London. A third flight has also been chartered.
From there, the government will be looking at how it can help get people back to Australia. Albanese said Qantas was exploring the option of adding flights home via Singapore.
“The first flight from Qantas will leave to London, it will carry 220 passengers … We’re doing all that we can, this is an extraordinary logistical exercise while a war is going on,” he told Nine’s Today Show on Friday.
“We’re doing whatever we can in these circumstances to assist and I’m very grateful to Qantas … they are moving very quickly.”
Qantas put a call out to its flight crews to man the planes and received “many more times the number of people who are needed”, Albanese said.
“Once again, Australians at the darkest of times showing the strength of their character,” he told Seven’s Sunrise program.
Albanese also confirmed that Virgin and Qatar Airways had offered to help Australians trying to leave.
“We’re willing to accept everyone’s offer,” he said.
There are an estimated 10,000 Australian citizens in Israel, including dual citizens and tourists, although the government said it looked like many want to stay.
The repatriation mission comes , killing more than 1000 people and taking hostages.
In retaliation, the Israel Defence Force , and is now preparing for a potential ground offensive to “destroy” Hamas.
The significant escalation is the latest in a long-standing conflict between Hamas and Israel.
Hamas is a Palestinian military and political group, gaining power in the Gaza Strip since winning legislative elections there in 2006.
Hamas’ stated aim is to establish a Palestinian state, while refusing to recognise Israel’s right to exist.
Smoke rises following an Israeli air strike in northern Gaza City on Thursday. Source: AAP, EPA / Mohammed Saber
More than 1,300 people have been killed in Israel. 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 1,400 Palestinians have been killed and more than 6,000 have been wounded in the retaliatory strikes.
Among those killed in Israel was , 66, who died at the hands of the Hamas militants who attacked her village near the Gaza border.
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