Foreign Minister Penny Wong has expressed relief after a group of Australians crossed the border out of Gaza and into Egypt, as the Middle Eastern conflict rages on.
Senator Wong confirmed 20 Australian citizens, one permanent resident and two family members were among those who left the Palestinian enclave through the Rafah crossing.
Australian officials had been working on the Egyptian side of the crossing and were there to meet and assist the citizens and their families.
“We’ve been working towards this for a very long time … and I’m so relieved we have seen some Australians able to leave,” she told ABC Radio on Thursday.
However, she said about 20 Australian citizens plus family members remained in Gaza.
“We will keep working to ensure we get as many of that Australian cohort out as possible.”
An approved list published by the Gaza border crossing authority and seen by AAP has 26 Australian citizens and eight Palestinians under the Australian category, which includes family members.
The list includes children as young as one and two. There were a total of 10 minors.
It is unknown whether all who were listed have since crossed.
Immigration Minister Andrew Giles said he was aware of a case concerning an Australian man who stayed in Gaza after his Palestinian wife who had an Australian visa was told by Egyptian officials she would not be allowed through.
The woman was on an initial list provided to Egyptian and Israeli authorities but was left off a revised list, the ABC reported.
The Australian government will assess individual cases closely but there were challenges engaging with people “in a fraught situation,” Mr Giles said.
“A big focus of my department’s work and the work of consular officials has been on ensuring that those people who are close family members of Australians are able to get the support they need,” he said.
Short-term accommodation in Cairo and return flights to Australia on commercial airlines will be offered to those who have crossed, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said.
“The situation in Gaza continues to be highly challenging and can change rapidly, we are doing all we can to facilitate their departure as soon as possible,” a department spokesperson said.
“DFAT will also continue to provide support to any individuals registered with us who are unable or do not want to depart Gaza.”
Qatar on Wednesday brokered a deal between Egypt, Hamas and Israel – co-ordinated by the US – for the border crossing to open.
Senator Wong urged Israel to listen to international calls for restraint during the conflict against Hamas, which is listed as a terrorist organisation by the federal government.
“The reality is the international community won’t accept civilian deaths,” she said.
The comments followed Israeli air strikes that levelled apartment buildings at a refugee camp in Gaza, drawing international condemnation.
The Israeli military said it killed a senior Hamas commander and had destroyed “underground terror infrastructure” beneath buildings.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said at least 50 people were killed in the Jabaliya camp.
The two attacks followed more than three weeks of bombardment that have killed more than 3500 children and injured almost 7000.
UNICEF said the scenes of carnage were “horrific and appalling”.
“This cannot become the new normal,” it said in a statement.
“Children have endured too much already, the killing and captivity of children must stop, children are not a target.”
More than 15,000 Australians in nearby Lebanon are being told to leave while commercial options are still available with fears the conflict could spread to other Middle East nations.
