Lebanon: Anthony Albanese pleads for Aussies in war-torn country to listen, come home and show ‘commonsense’

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says it is not “commonsense” for Australians to have continued travelling Lebanon despite increasing travel warnings, as fears of an all-out war grow.

The world is on edge after Israel launched intense air strikes across hundreds of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Monday, killing almost 500 people and injuring over 1600 in the deadliest day of the cross-border conflict since 2006.

Thousands of people have fled southern Lebanon as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told civilians to “get out of harm’s way”.

The Australian Government has for months been urging people not to travel to Lebanon, and called on those already there to leave while commercial air travel is still available, warning them those flights could dry up at any time.

The Australian Government has now cautioned that the number of Australians in Lebanon are “beyond the capacity” of its assistance.

After the escalation overnight, Mr Albanese called on Australians still in the region to heed the advice.

“People who are in Lebanon should Iisten to the warnings that we have been saying for months,” he said.

“And the fact that some people have continued to go from Australia to Lebanon in recent months is not a commonsense thing to do.

“The Government issues these warnings for a reason, and the advice is that people should take the opportunity to come home on commercial aircraft while it is available.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong had earlier warned the number of Australians in Lebanon they might be left without Government assistance.

“Whilst we are doing what we can to prepare contingency arrangements, the numbers of Australians in Lebanon are beyond the capacity of the Government to provide assistance to all,” she said from New York.

She said the Australian Government was “deeply concerned” and “alarmed” by the escalation of conflict in Lebanon, and the loss of civilian life.

“We have consistently said we wish to see de-escalation. We believe a wider regional conflict is not in the interests of any of the peoples in the region,” she said.

In a short video statement to Lebanese people overnight, Mr Netanyahu told the civilians Israel’s war was “not with you”.

“It’s with Hezbollah. For too long, Hezbollah has been using you as human shields,” he said.

“The IDF has warned you to get out of harm’s way. I urge you: take this warning seriously.”

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati described Israel’s attack as a “war of extermination”.