Australia Races to Evacuate Citizens as Lebanon Tensions Escalate

Australia has organized evacuation flights for its citizens from Lebanon with seats secured on commercial flights. With escalating tensions, the government urges Australians to leave promptly, though registered evacuees total 1,700. Military options are secondary while commercial routes remain possible.

Australia has stepped up efforts to evacuate its citizens from Lebanon, securing hundreds of airline seats amid escalating tensions in the region. Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced on Thursday that seats on flights departing on Thursday and Saturday have been arranged for those wishing to leave.

Wong emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that some 1,700 Australians have expressed a desire to evacuate. Australia has long been home to a substantial Lebanese diaspora, and approximately 15,000 Australians are currently residing in Lebanon, based on information from the foreign ministry.

With the possibility of Beirut airport closures, Wong warned that evacuation options could become severely limited. The Australian government has dispatched military aircraft to Cyprus as a precaution but continues to prioritize commercial flight departures.

(With inputs from agencies.)