<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>330240</docID> <postdate>2024-10-04 10:38:55</postdate> <headline>‘Heart-wrenching’ call behind empty Lebanon flights</headline> <body><p><img class="wp-image-330241" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/20241002166389486368-original-1.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>Australians have been offered flights out of Beirut's airport near the sites of Israeli air strikes. (AP PHOTO)</caption> <p class="wire-column__preview__author"><span class="kicker-line">By <b>Andrew Brown</b> in Canberra</span></p> <p><strong>Political leaders have reiterated calls for Australian citizens to get out of Lebanon as the country comes under attack, after evacuation flights took off with empty seats.</strong></p> <p>A flight that left Lebanon on Thursday with 80 seats allocated for Australians had just 41 people take up the offer.</p> <p>A further 500 seats are available on a flight that will leave Lebanon on Saturday, with only 238 Australians registering for the evacuation offer so far.</p> <p>Assistant Foreign Minister Tim Watts said while Australians should get out of Lebanon on the evacuation flights, he admitted the decision to leave would not be easy for many.</p> <p>"People have entrenched lives in that community, they live there, they have elderly family, they have businesses, they have properties, so it's understandable," he told ABC TV on Friday.</p> <p>"This is a heart-wrenching decision to leave, but our advice is don't think twice about it."</p> <p>Israel has intensified military action against Lebanon, bombing southern parts of the nation and its capital Beirut, which has killed hundreds of people.</p> <p>Opposition Leader Peter Dutton also stressed Australians in Lebanon should leave at the first opportunity.</p> <p>"If people are waiting for a RAAF flight, that is going to get more and more difficult. So I would just say that they should heed the advice of the prime minister: book that commercial flight now and get out of harm's way," he told reporters in Brisbane.</p> <p>"There are commercial flights still available now as we pointed out before, there are still seats that are available. And people should take that up and leave straight away."</p> <p>It comes as Israel has also threatened retaliation against Iran after it launched a missile strike.</p> <p>Mr Watts said while Israel had the right to self defence, he pleaded for a de-escalation of tension in the region.</p> <p>"We need to break this cycle of violence that we're seeing in the region. It's not in anyone's interest in the region to see a regional conflict, and that's really what we are on the brink of at the moment," he said.</p> <p>Mr Dutton has also called for Iran's ambassador to Australia, Ahmad Sadeghi, to be expelled, following reports he praised Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as a "remarkable leader".</p> <p>The Hezbollah leader was killed in Lebanon by Israeli air strikes.</p> <p>"The comments from the Iranian ambassador are completely and utterly at odds with what is in our country's best interests," Mr Dutton said.,</p> <p>"The prime minister and the foreign minister should show the strength of character and expel him from our country."</p> <div class="wire-column__preview__text" id="preview-body"> <p>As a deal was struck to allow a protest to go ahead on Sunday ahead of the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks by Hamas, police forces from across Australia issued a joint statement calling for attendees to be peaceful.</p> <p>"Police are lock-step in keeping Australians safe, and continue to work with all Australians, visitors, stakeholders, community leaders and leaders of faith to ensure Australian laws are understood," the statement said.</p> <p>"Police are planning and preparing for upcoming protests in some states and territories."</p> <p>Government Services Minister Bill Shorten said the protest should not be confrontational.</p> <p>"Most Australians don't want to see these arguments from overseas coming to these shores. They certainly expect it to be peaceful," he told Nine's Today program.</p> <p>"I'll just say to any protesters, if you think somehow you're convincing or changing anyone's mind, think again."</p> </div> </body>