A mercy flight is bound for Australia with more than 200 citizens who’ve escaped Lebanon on board, while the federal government is also promising more flights
More than 3700 Australians wanting to depart Lebanon are now registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
A total of 904 have already evacuated Beirut Airport on assisted flights and 349 are on their way home from Cyprus, due to touch down in Sydney at about 7pm.
Another two flights are leaving Beirut tonight, with vulnerable and displaced people given top priority.
“We are encouraging people to get whatever commercial flights they can,” NDIS Minister Bill Shorten said.
As evacuation efforts ramp up overseas, rallies have been held across Australia on the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attacks.
Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters march in Australian cities
“As an ambassador, as an Israeli, as a Jew and as a human being, it is sad,” Israeli Ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon said.
It was a solemn commemoration in Canberra but with rallies around the country, the majority of Australians are growing weary, with a new poll showing more than half the community oppose the marches.
