Commencing Tuesday evening, the inaugural Israel repatriation flights will descend in Sydney, marking a pivotal shift announced by the Australian government – there will be no subsequent departures from Tel Aviv.
The primary flight on Tuesday, facilitated by Qatar Airways, is slated to touchdown at Sydney’s illustrious Kingsford Smith Airport at approximately 5:55 PM, having begun its journey at Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport on the preceding Monday.
It has come to light that there will be a string of subsequent domestic flights, handled by Virgin Australia, in tandem with Qatar, providing these flights at no cost, a sentiment that has drawn commendation from the Australian administration.
Following this, an ensuing flight commandeered by Qantas is poised to begin its voyage from London’s Heathrow Airport on Tuesday morning, aiming to reach Sydney by Wednesday evening.
There occurred a pivotal disclosure on Tuesday morning by Defence Minister Richard Marles that no more repatriation flights are proposed to vacate Israel after two planes, with 194 capacity, parted from Tel Aviv for Dubai during the night.
“I am under the belief that these current flights adequately cater to the immediate impulse of Australians to extricate themselves from Israel,” he proclaimed.
“However,” he added, “We have arranged to station a pair of Air Force planes in the vicinity as a preparatory measure over the prospective days.”
The Minister revealed that the government is currently maintaining conversation with an estimated 45 Australians currently stationed in Gaza, extending its assistance to guide them to safety.
“We are urging them to relocate southwards within Gaza, honoring Israel’s demand in this aspect. Concurrently, we are allying with our comrades in the international community to explore the potential establishment of a humanitarian corridor exiting Gaza, which, unfortunately, remains undeveloped at this juncture,” he concluded.
