Penny Wong calls for ‘de-escalation’ as Israel ramps up strikes in Lebanon

Penny Wong says she is “deeply concerned” by the latest developments in the Middle East and has called for calm.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong says the government is “deeply concerned” after Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah amped up cross-border attacks overnight.

Israel on Monday (local time) launched a wave of deadly air strikes targeting Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, killing nearly 500.

The strikes came amid a surge in rocket fire hitting civilian areas in northern Israel.

Senator Wong, who is in New York for high-level UN talks, said the Australian government was “deeply concerned” by the escalation.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong is alarmed at the loss of life in Israel and Lebanon. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“We are deeply concerned. We’re alarmed by the escalation and the loss of civilian life, both in Lebanon and also the attacks into Israel,” she told reporters.

“We have consistently said we wish to see de-escalation. We believe a wider regional conflict is not in the interests of any of the peoples of the region.”

Lebanon’s health ministry said women, children and health workers were among at least 492 killed in the Israeli air strikes, which Israel’s military said struck 1300 Hezbollah targets.

It is the deadliest flare-up between the Iran-backed militant group and Israel since 2006.

The federal government has been calling on Australians in Lebanon to leave the country for months, warning that the temperature could hit boiling point at any time.

Senator Wong repeated the government’s plea to Australian citizens, dual nationals and permanent residents in the country “to take commercial options whilst they were still available”.

“Whilst we are doing what we can to prepare contingency arrangements, the numbers of Australians in Lebanon are beyond the capacity of the government to provide assistance to all,” she warned.

“There are very large numbers of Australians in Lebanon, which is why we again say to any Australian who is in Lebanon what we’ve been saying for months … you should return home as soon as you are able to whilst commercial options are still available, if they are.”

Australians have been urged to leave the war-torn region while they can. Picture: Jalaa Marey / AFP

The strikes come after communication devices exploded across southern Lebanon last week, killing nearly 40 and injuring thousands more.

Israel has not taken responsibility for the blasts but did say it was entering a new phase of its war with Hamas, the Palestinian terror group that administers Gaza.

Hezbollah began firing rockets at residences in northern Israel in solidarity with Hamas after its brutal October 7 attacks last year that killed 1200.

Much of Hamas’ assaults was captured in graphic videos that flooded social media.

Witnesses on the ground shared accounts of whole families being killed and horrific sexual violence.

Hamas fighters took hundreds more hostage as they retreated back into Gaza.

Israel’s ensuing military action has killed upwards of 40,000 in the Palestinian territory, including aid workers.

Senator Wong was in New York to formally announce Australia’s global push for better protections for aid workers as part of Canberra’s response to the death of Melbourne woman Zomi Frankcom in Gaza.