By Dominic Giannini in Canberra

Australia is working to get its citizens out of Lebanon as Israel launches a ground invasion.

Those in Lebanon are being assisted by the Department of Foreign Affairs to secure commercial airline tickets as the risk of the international airport shutting heightens.

It follows months of repeated warnings Australians in Lebanon needed to leave as the security situation deteriorated and any repatriation effort in a crisis would be severely strained and unable to evacuate everyone.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has reiterated calls for Australians to take the first opportunity to leave.

Canada has secured 800 seats on commercial flights across three days to evacuate its citizens, permanent residents and their immediate families.

Israeli troops have begun “targeted ground raids” in southern Lebanon, with the military saying it’s targeting Hezbollah targets.

Hundreds of people have been killed in Lebanon following a multi-day missile attack from Israel, which it said targeted the designated terrorist group and its weapon stocks, and the assassination of the Hezbollah leader.

The attack has levelled residential apartments and dozens of children are among those killed.

Israel and the Lebanon-based, Iran-backed Hezbollah have been trading rocket attacks across the border for months.

Save the Children estimates 60,000 kids have crossed into Syria from Lebanon, with many suffering dehydration and exhaustion, since the escalation on September 24.

Syria is also dealing with a humanitarian crisis after more than a decade of conflict, with some 16 million people requiring humanitarian assistance, the organisation says.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers urged restraint, saying Australia was “gravely concerned for the human cost of an escalation of this conflict”.

“Further hostilities put the lives of tens of thousands of civilians at risk,” he told reporters in Canberra.

The escalation in the Middle East has translated to growing frustration within Arab and Lebanese communities in Australia about the federal government’s rhetoric over Israel’s incursion and sustained attacks.

Dr Chalmers denied the federal government was tip-toeing around the issue by using terms like “concern” about escalation, which Arab and Palestinian communities want strengthened.

“I don’t agree with that, but I understand and respect that our communities are hurting and this is a difficult time for people,” he said.

The focus has shifted to protesters seen carrying the Hezbollah flag, drawing scorn from the Jewish community and both sides of politics, with calls for visa holders to be deported.

People inciting discord would fail a visa character test although the immigration status of protesters was unknown, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said.

“I don’t want the anger and hatred from around the world being imported into Australia,” he told ABC Radio on Tuesday.

It’s a Commonwealth offence to display the symbol of a listed terrorist organisation, but Australian Federal Police deputy commissioner Krissy Barrett said solely displaying Hezbollah’s symbols wasn’t enough for a prosecution.

Although a reasonable person determining the display of the symbol is likely to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate “would be sufficient” because of the ideology it’s seen to represent, the counter-terror law reads.

The AFP is expecting at least six referrals from Victoria Police relating to the display of terrorist iconography by Tuesday.

“We will arrest and prosecute where we identify alleged offenders,” Ms Barrett told ABC Radio.

Visa check for Hezbollah flag wavers