Australia doesn’t have enough capacity to ‘assist’ its citizens in Lebanon: Foreign minister
ISTANBUL (AA) – Australia does not have enough capacity to assist its citizens in Lebanon amid bombing by Israel, Foreign Minister Penny Wong has said.
“The numbers of Australians in Lebanon are beyond the capacity of the government to provide assistance to all,” Wong said.
She emphasized the urgency for Australians to leave while commercial flights are still available, according to the Canberra-based SBS news.
Nearly half of the scheduled flights from Beirut’s airport were canceled on Tuesday, complicating evacuation efforts.
Estimates suggest there are at least 15,000 Australians in Lebanon, but the real figure could be as high as 30,000.
Israel launched deadly airstrikes on Lebanon on Monday, killing at least 492 people, including 35 children, and injuring 1,645 others, while thousands of people have fled their homes, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed over 41,400 people, the majority of whom are women and children, following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.
Israeli forces intensified their attacks on Lebanon, ignoring the international community’s warnings.
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