CANBERRA, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Repatriation flights for Australians in Israel will resume on Sunday after being abandoned over safety concerns, the federal government has confirmed.
Penny Wong, the minister for foreign affairs, on Sunday announced that multiple flights would operate from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport to Dubai on Sunday for Australian citizens who are stranded in Israel.
"Subject to factors including the security environment, the Australian Government is planning multiple flights to depart from Tel Aviv today, for Australians wanting to leave," Wong wrote on social media.
"We are also arranging flights to assist travelers with their onward journey from Dubai to Australia. A further update will be provided directly to registered Australians in coming hours.
"We continue working on options for Australians wanting to leave the Occupied Palestinian Territories."
It comes after the assisted departure flights for Australians, which began on Friday, were on Saturday suspended due to what the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) called a "highly challenging and rapidly changing" situation.
The government said on Friday that over 1,600 Australians in Israel and the West Bank had registered with DFAT for assisted repatriation.
Speaking earlier on Sunday, Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the government was investigating using military aircraft to evacuate Australians.
"We are working very intently on that. It's hard to commit to this because this can literally change at any moment. This is determined on the basis of status with Israel's airspace remaining open," he told state media Australian Broadcasting Corporation television.
"We have the intent to put in place flights very soon, almost immediately." ■
