Australians trying to flee Israel are heading to the airport this evening to catch rescheduled repatriation flights planned for the next few hours. Many had hoped to leave yesterday but the deteriorating security situation in the area led to last minute cancellations.
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00:00 Cueing up for a ticket to safety.
00:04 It is quite busy here, we're waiting to check in.
00:07 Everyone is calm.
00:09 Tamara Porat, her husband and two children,
00:12 starting their long journey back to Sydney,
00:14 but leaving many loved ones behind.
00:16 We're returning home and praying for our family,
00:21 our dear friends and for Israel.
00:23 OK.
00:25 A sleepless night for the Foreign Minister
00:27 as her department scrambles to get Australians out.
00:30 Last night it was very disappointing
00:32 that we were in a position where flights had to be cancelled.
00:35 But today, more promising news.
00:37 Multiple flights plan to depart Ben Gurion Airport
00:40 as early as today.
00:42 This is a mixture of government-chartered and Air Force planes.
00:46 At least three RAAF planes have been sent to Australia's Air Force Base
00:52 in the United Arab Emirates,
00:54 including two C-17 transport aircraft.
00:57 And there is some greater flexibility
01:01 that military flights offer in this circumstance.
01:05 Other nations have been using defence planes
01:08 to evacuate their citizens.
01:10 Flights to Chile and Peru landing over the weekend,
01:13 while some countries continue to use chartered commercial flights,
01:17 at least for the time being.
01:19 If you wish to leave, we strongly encourage you
01:21 to take the first option that becomes available to you.
01:24 The federal government's reluctant to put exact numbers
01:26 on how many Australians it can evacuate on these flights,
01:30 likely an exercise in expectation management
01:33 combined with the risk of future cancellations.
01:35 The situation facing those still in Gaza remains even more uncertain,
01:39 as Australia adds its voice to calls for a humanitarian corridor
01:43 for people wanting to flee.
01:45 [BLANK_AUDIO]