Due to mounting concerns about the potential for increased violence in the area, two scheduled flights to evacuate Australians stuck in Israel and Palestine have been cancelled. However, the government of Anthony Albanese claimed it is working on other possibilities to bring the individuals to safety.
A “highly challenging and rapidly changing” situation has forced the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to put off the scheduled repatriation flights for this weekend. “The situation is highly challenging and rapidly changing. Unfortunately, we have been advised our scheduled flights will not depart Israel today. A further flight will not depart as scheduled tomorrow.”
Australia is still helping local residents get home and it will keep them informed about upcoming flights, per the department. Over 200 Australians and their families reportedly made it to London at 9 pm local time (7 am Australian Eastern Daylight Time) on 14 October safely as the first of a scheduled series of repatriation flights took off on 13 October local time.
The two scheduled flights were called off and Australia echoed the Joe Biden administration’s request for Israel to respond to Hamas strikes in accordance with the laws of war and pledged an additional $10 million in humanitarian aid for Gaza’s civilian population.
Prior to an anticipated ground assault of the blockaded strip, thousands of civilians have begun escaping to Gaza’s southern half. According to Qantas Airlines, evacuation flights from Tel Aviv have been halted as a result of advice over the growing threat on the ground.
More than 800 Australians have managed to leave Israel since the start of the war, including on Qantas flights to London, per Australia’s foreign minister Penny Wong, who stated on the evening of 14 October, “But I know that there are many more people who are seeking to leave and I can assure you that the government and officials are working as hard as they can to arrange flights and to get flights in.”
She conveyed, “850 previously registered Australians and their families have now left Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories. DFAT is assisting more than 1,500 registered Australians in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. Not all of those are looking to leave.”
She proclaimed, “The situation on the ground is obviously very volatile, and it is changing rapidly. I spent a lot of time on the phones today to see if there was any way we could find alternatives, and I understand how distressing this is for people.”
“Qantas has been running constant safety assessments for its planned flights to Tel Aviv in consultation with government agencies. Based on the latest assessments, the difficult decision has been made not to operate the second flight to Tel Aviv on Sunday due to continued deterioration of conditions on the ground in Israel for safety reasons,” a spokesperson for Qantas said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the minister raised alarm about the worsening conditions in Gaza before the government officially announced that the two scheduled flights had been cancelled. The US president, Joe Biden stressed earlier in the day that it was important to “urgently address the humanitarian crisis” in Gaza. He asserted, “We can’t lose sight of the fact that the overwhelming majority of Palestinians had nothing to do with Hamas and Hamas’s appalling attacks, and they’re suffering as a result as well.”
She expressed similar fears. Australia’s foreign minister observed, “President Biden has called on Israel to operate by the rules of war in its response to Hamas attacks, we join him and others in that call.”
She further noted, “We call for safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to civilians affected by the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and we call for the establishment of a corridor to enable humanitarian needs to be met. Adherence to international humanitarian law must be prioritised, including the protection of civilians, wherever they live.”
The Australian government is donating $3 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross in order to restore basic services and $7 million via the UN in order to finance emergency services for child safety, nutrition, sanitation and hygiene. The government is going to “continue to monitor and assess the humanitarian situation and stands ready to provide further support,” she added.
Interestingly, in the midst of the violent struggle with Hamas, the US State Department had also established evacuation plans to assist Americans in leaving Israel and asked the ones seeking aid to leave the Jewish state to complete a “crisis intake form” and “sign an agreement to repay the US government prior to departure” as required by the country’s law.
Notably, India has launched ‘Operation Ajay’ to ensure the safe return of Indians stranded in the war-inflicted region. As many as 447 Indian people who ended up stranded in the midst of the fierce Israel-Hamas confrontation have been brought back to India. On 13 October, the inaugural aircraft with 212 Indian passengers touched down in Delhi while the second flight had 235 Indian nationals. Those who returned expressed their gratitude to the Indian government.
