Albo’s last-ditch plea to Aussies in Lebanon

Anthony Albanese has made a last-ditch plea to Australians in Lebanon after the Israeli military confirmed it was carrying out ground raids in the country’s south.

The federal government has been calling on Australian citizens to leave Lebanon for months, but with Israeli troops now crossing the border, time to leave is quickly running out as the situation edges closer to an all-out war.

“We repeat the call for Australians who are in Lebanon to come home,” the Prime Minister told reporters on Tuesday.

“There are still commercial opportunities available. We’ve been saying for months that it is time to leave.

“It is certainly time to leave now when those opportunities are available, and at the moment, there are some commercial opportunities available, and we want Australians to take up that opportunity to come home to safety.”

Israel’s military earlier confirmed it began “limited, localised, and targeted ground raids” on Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon.

It said the targets were “located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel.”

The raids come after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed his country would continue striking Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah until residents displaced by cross-border rocket fire could return safely to their homes in northern Israel.

Tens of thousands were forced from Israel’s north when Hezbollah began firing rockets at civilian areas in solidarity with Hamas, the militant Islamic fundamentalists that administer Gaza.

More than 1000 people have been killed and a million more displaced, according to Lebanese authorities.

Peak body for non-government organisations, the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) has launched a consolidated appeal for urgent funds, with donations going to the Australian arms of Caritas, Save the Children and UNICEF.

ACFID humanitarian adviser Naomi Brooks aid agencies were struggling to meet the growing needs, and called on “warring parties” to protect “civilians, humanitarian staff, and facilities are protected from attacks”.

“The humanitarian situation in Lebanon is dire, and agencies are struggling to meet growing humanitarian needs as the conflict shows no sign of slowing down. Urgent funding is needed to meet the most basic of needs,” she said.

Lebanon’s army, which is separate to Hezbollah, withdrew from the border region late on Monday, according to reports.

Israel has pounded Lebanon’s south and parts of its capital Beirut with deadly air strikes since last week.