US bombs Iran: Fears for Aussies stranded in Middle East

As the conflict in the Middle East escalates, terrified Australians remain trapped in Israel and Iran. Watch the video.

While many businesses, schools and kindergartens are shut across Israel and residents are staying at home, more than 3800 Australians are unable to leave both Israel and Iran and they have no idea when they will be able to return home.

Israel’s air space remains closed following the US strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities on Sunday which has left many people stranded in the Middle East for the foreseeable future.

DFAT had buses and Royal Australian Air Force flights organised to get Australians out of the war zone, but these have now been put on hold as Israel’s airspace remains closed and buses services cancelled.

A group of Australians travelling together had their return flights booked on June 13 to return from a four-week holiday back to Australia but their plans were derailed when the latest conflict between Israel and Iran broke out.

Liz Sveticic, 63, from Epping, who works as a personal carer, said she was all “packed and ready to go on June 13” until “all hell broke loose” between the two warring countries.

“We contacted all the authorities, the consular, the travel agents, everything possible and from my understanding we’ve been told to keep safe and keep where we are,” she told News Corp while on holiday in Tel Aviv.

“It’s our risk if we want to go to Jordan, which is a very high risk which I’m not prepared to do.

“We have to sit and wait”.

Liz was all “packed and ready to go on June 13”.

Sam is on holiday with his wife.

Ms Sveticic said she’s being inundated by calls and messages from family and friends in Australia concerned for her safety but said many people at home are more stressed than she is while being stuck in the middle of a war zone.

“They (Australians) don’t understand because of course everyone is ringing in panic and they are panicking more than we are panicking, they don’t get it,” she said.

“Realistically I would love to go home, my granddaughter turned one yesterday, it’s heartbreaking”.

Sam Federici, 72, from Caulfield South, is also on holiday in Israel with his wife Liora, 74, and said they arrived in Israel on May 22 but are now trapped in Israel for the foreseeable future.

Sitting in a cafe in Dizengoff Street – one of Tel Aviv’s most popular food and fashion hubs – he said his family has been moving hotels as their stay keeps getting extended.

Emergency responders gather at the site of an Iranian air strike in the Ramat Aviv neighbourhood Tel Aviv, Israel. Picture: Getty Images

Just hours after learning that America had destroyed three of Iran’s nuclear plants he said hearing the news was “unbelievable”.

“I think he’s achieved in one fell blow what nobody could do for the last 20 years or 30 years,” Mr Federici said.

“Hopefully it’s a chance for peace”.

But Mr Federici said he was “very disappointed” with the Australian government and its treatment of the Jewish community.

“I’m disappointed with Albanese, I’m disappointed with Penny Wong, I hate to say her name, I’m just disappointed with the way the ALP have treated Jewish people in Australia, as if they don’t exist,” he said.

“What 120,000 Jews in Australia have achieved, no-one can come anywhere near it and the government is treating them as if they don’t matter and as if they don’t exist”.

Originally published as US bombs Iran: Fears for Aussies stranded in Middle East