Lebanon: Tears and hugs as Qantas flight repatriates more Aussies from war zone to Sydney

Trading smoke and fear in the Middle East to the warm hugs of her grandchildren, Houda Ammoun says she’s thankful to be back in Australia.

The Sydney woman was among 220 Australians and permanent residents to touch down in Sydney late on Tuesday night after being evacuated from Lebanon.

But, like many, she’s concerned for the family left behind.

“It’s very hard, I can’t explain it, the smoke and everything,” she said breaking down in tears.

“I’m very happy to be back home because over there is very, very sad.

“It’s not fair, why should we do this, (it’s) our home, our houses, our families.”

Beginning with a pager attack targeting militant group Hezbollah, Israel’s bombing campaign has killed more than 1400 Lebanese people since September 17.

It’s the latest escalation in conflict in the region, following a Hamas invasion of Israel in October 2023 that killed 1200 people and a counter-attack that has all but levelled Gaza and killed at least 42,000 people.

The government-chartered flight, the first operated by Qantas, is among several ferrying 1200 people out as Israeli strikes rain down on the country.

Commercial flights have been cancelled in recent weeks due to the recent conflict.

One man broke down in tears as he lifted his five-year-old daughter into his arms and greeted his wife after two months apart.

The pair had been visiting his father in Lebanon for the past two months.

“I was supposed to go next month to see my dad,” Elias said.

“At least, she’s safe now.”

Jacob Mohammed arrived on the first repatriation flight on Monday but was back at the airport on Tuesday awaiting his mother, sister and brother.

“For three weeks we’d been trying to get out, trying to book to Turkey, anything,” he said, while heaping praise on Australian officials behind the evacuation.

Residents of other cities were flown to their nearest home domestic airport Qantas operates to, at no cost.

The 15,890km flight from Cyprus to Sydney, covered entirely by the federal government, was among the longest ever flown by Qantas, exceeding its regular Perth-London trip on its 787 Dreamliner.

Six Australian government flights have ferried people to safety, while a further 3892 Australians and their families are registered to depart, with vulnerable and displaced passengers prioritised.

It came as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese failed to secure bipartisan support from the coalition in condemning escalating violence in the Middle East.

His motion in the House of Representatives on Tuesday commemorating Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel included a call to release remaining Israeli hostages, recognition of the number of Palestinian civilians killed in Gaza and an immediate ceasefire in the enclave and Lebanon.

The coalition did not support the motion, with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton blasting Mr Albanese for trying to “walk both sides of the street”.