Labor defies Coalition calls to establish Lebanon no-go terrorist zone

Calls to make it an offence for Australian citizens to travel to parts of Lebanon have been ignored by the Albanese government.

The Albanese government has defied calls from the Coalition to declare parts of Lebanon a terrorist no-go zone in a bid to stop Australian citizens from joining Hezbollah.

It comes after Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group and Shia Islamist political party, claimed that Ali Bazzi — who was killed in an Israeli air strike in the city of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon last week — was one its members.

In a statement released by the listed terrorist organisation following the Australian citizens death it said “with great pride the Islamic Resistance celebrates the martyr Mujahid Ali Ahmed Bazzi ‘Qasim’”.

The coffins of alleged Hezbollah fighter Ali Bazzi and his two relatives who were killed in Israeli bombardment in the city of Bint Jbeil, in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel. Picture: AFP.

Alleged Hezbollah fighter Ali Bazzi was described as a “martyr” by the listed terrorist organisation. Picture: Supplied.

Ali Bazzi, 30, was killed alongside his brother Ibrahim Bazzi, 27 on Tuesday, December 26, according to local media reports. Ibrahim's wife, Shorouq Hamoud, who he had travelled to meet in Lebanon to accompany to Australia, was also killed. It is not suggest that Ibrahim Bazzi nor Ms Hamoud were linked to Hezbollah

The federal government is currently investigating if Ali Bazzi is indeed linked to Hezbollah.

Speaking to reporters in Adelaide on Tuesday, cabinet minister Mark Butler stopped short of endorsing the Coalition’s requests to make it an offence to travel to parts of

Lebanon, instead reiterating the government’s calls for Australian citizens to not travel there.

The Israeli Defence Force has launched multiple air strikes on towns in southern Lebanon over alleged incursions. Picture: AFP / Jalaa Marey.

“We’ve urged Australians not to travel to Lebanon, given the risk involved there,” Mr Butler said.

“It is not safe to remain there, we urge you to leave Lebanon at the earliest possible opportunity.”

Mr Butler added that it was already a criminal offence for Australians to engage in hostile activities overseas.

“There are very clear penalties ... which include the possible cancellation of Australian passports,” Mr Butler added.

Asked if authorities had verified Hezbollah’s claims regarding Mr Bazzi, Mr Butler said the government was still working to establish the “exact facts” surrounding the case.

Earlier on Tuesday, opposition home affairs spokesman James Patterson called for the government to ban travel to parts of Lebanon.

“It seems like it’s one of the most obvious tools available in the policy toolkit to the Albanese government, if you want to prevent Australians potentially going to the Middle East to fight for Hezbollah or Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad or any listed terrorist organisation,” Senator Patterson told 2GB radio.

Cabinet minister Mark Butler would not be drawn on the Coalition’s calls to make it an offence for Australian citizens to travel to parts of Lebanon. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Under Australia’s Criminal Code Act, the foreign minister has the power to make it an offence to travel to or remain in an area where a listed terrorist organisation is engaging in hostile activities.

The powers have been used to ban Australian citizens from travelling to Syria’s al-Raqqa province and the city of Mosul in Iraq during ISIS’s attacks on parts of the Middle East.

“Its purpose is to send a very strong message to Australians that if you go there to fight for a terrorist organisation, you’d be committing a crime and it’ll be up to you to prove that you weren’t fighting for a terrorist organisation if you went there,” Senator Patterson added.

“I really hope that the Albanese government is already considering using these powers. And if they’re not, the question is, why not?”

Originally published as Labor defies Coalition calls to establish Lebanon no-go terrorist zone