Qantas to operate two flights from Cyprus, as government calls on Aussies to return from Lebanon

The federal government has announced two new flights to help evacuate some of the 2300 Australians stranded in Lebanon amid escalating conflict.

Australians leaving Lebanon amid intensifying Israeli air strikes will be evacuated with connecting flights from Cyprus to Sydney, with the government urging Australians to leave the conflict zone before it’s too late.

On Saturday, two government-supported charter flights will carry up to 500 passengers from Lebanon’s capital of Beirut to Larnaca, Cyprus.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has confirmed Qantas will also be operating two flights from Cyprus to Sydney at no charge to eligible Australians, permanent residents and their immediate family members with a right of entry to Australia.

The government is also continuing discussions with other airlines to confirm further flights.

Ms Wong reiterated calls for Australians to leave the conflict zone while the Beirut Rafic Hariri remains operational.

The government has confirmed two Qantas flights will fly passengers from Cyrpus to Sydney. Picture: Joseph Eid/ AFP

Figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade suggest about 15,000 Australians normally reside in Lebanon, with concerns not enough Australians have taken up the opportunity to leave, despite the escalating conflict.

“Our message to Australians in Lebanon remains – now is the time to leave,” she said.

“Please take the first flight option that is available. There is no guarantee of preferred flights or that these flights will continue

Earlier on Friday, Coalition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said there are “limits” to what Australia can do to help Australians in Lebanon.

Senator Birmingham said on Friday the possibility of Australians dying in Lebanon was “a concern”, but that those who were still there “have chosen to stay against explicit warnings from the Albanese government”.

He told Sky News that he and Foreign Minister Penny Wong had been “on a unity ticket” for months when it came to telling Australians “do not travel to Lebanon and leave if you are there.”

Coalition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham says Australia can only do so much for those Australians in Lebanon. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“Now, people have chosen to ignore that,” he said.

“The government is doing the right thing in terms of trying to still urge people to go and to create some extra seats for them to go.

“But I think many Australians would rightly think, if you’ve chosen to stay, there have to be limits on what the government can do, on what risk other Australians are put in to try to rescue people, and that certainly people should be expected to pay their own way to get back and not to think that other Australian taxpayers are just going to foot the bill for those who have ignored countless warnings to get out and to get out weeks and months ago, not just days or hours ago.”

Health officials in Lebanon said 37 people were killed and 151 injured in Israeli strikes on the country’s south on Thursday, adding to the more than 1300 deaths already reported since Israel ramped up its attacks against Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah late last month.

Beirut’s southern suburbs are coming under regular bombardment as Israel targets Hezbollah sites. Picture: AFP

Israel’s military said Hezbollah launched some 230 rockets from Lebanon on Thursday.

It also vowed to continue its attacks on the Islamist militant group after claiming to kill yet another member of Hezbollah’s senior echelon.

With Israel poised to respond to a barrage of nearly 200 missiles fired at it by Iran earlier this week, there are fears the conflict could grow to involve more advanced arsenals in the Middle East and escalate to a large-scale regional war.

Anthony Albanese on Friday renewed his government’s urgent plea for Australians in Lebanon to get out any way they can.

“We have been warning for many months now, pleading with people to please leave Lebanon because it is not a safe place,” the Prime Minister said.

“We have 500 places made available for Australians to leave tomorrow.

“We have organised and assisted the safe passage of a number of Australians this week, we are putting in measures.

“We have, for some time, been planning measures to make sure that people can be looked after, but we do say if people can leave by commercial means, they should take up the opportunities as soon as possible.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australians in Lebanon should get out ‘as soon as possible.’ Picture: David Geraghty / NewsWire

The government announced on Thursday that it had secured 500 seats on commercial flights leaving Beirut on Saturday, but the airport could close at any time.

Australian Defence aircraft have landed in Cyprus, which lies in the Eastern Mediterranean near Lebanon.

NewsWire has asked the government whether those planes would continue on to Lebanon.

As many as 15,000 Australians are in Lebanon, but just more than 2300 have registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for evacuation assistance.