Nearly 150 Australians have been safely evacuated from Israel, with thousands more on the waiting list.
According to the Australian government, 29 citizens boarded a second repatriation flight on the night of June 25 with the support of Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel and diplomats.
Just one day earlier, the first evacuation flight successfully airlifted 119 Australians and their family members out of the country.
As of June 26, around 4,300 Australians have registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to be evacuated.
Approximately 3,200 of these people are in Iran, and the remaining 1,100 reside in Israel.
The Australian government said it is considering additional repatriation flights from Israel if conditions allow.
At the same time, the government noted that Israel’s airspace has been opened, and people wanting to leave the country can consider commercial flights.
Citizens and permanent residents seeking government support for departing the region are advised to register with via DFAT’s Crisis Portal or by calling the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre.
Some Australians have decided to stay in Israel, while others maintain a wait-and-see attitude.
The evacuation of Australians is taking place as fighting pauses between Israel and Iran.
The full ceasefire took effect at midnight on June 25 with the mediation of the Trump administration.
Israel has claimed a “great victory” against the Iranian regime, saying it opened up a window for “a dramatic expansion of the peace agreements.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared on television to declare that the regime had dealt “a slap to America’s face” with its attack on a U.S. air base in Qatar.
On the U.S. side, President Donald Trump has said his administration would hold nuclear talks with Iran in the coming week.
However, this was rebutted by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who on June 26 said Tehran was considering whether talks with the United States were in its interest.
