Australian peacekeepers safe as security reviewed
All Australian defence personnel including peacekeepers are secure in the Middle East, amid a call to withdraw them.
Iranian-made weapons captured from Hezbollah and displayed by the Israel Defence Forces on Oct. 9, 2024. Photo by TPS-IL
The Australian Defence Force “continually revises force protection measures” in the region, said a spokesperson when asked about safety of personnel, while offering no details due to security reasons.
“Defence can confirm all personnel assigned to the Middle East region are safe and accounted for,” the spokesperson told AAP in a statement.
“The Australian government is closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East region.”
Liberal senator Dave Sharma, a former ambassador to Israel, called for peacekeeping troops to be removed from the conflict zone.
“I don’t think it makes a lot of sense to have them in a live fire zone when there’s clearly a hot conflict raging between Hezbollah and Israel,” he told Sky News.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also called for peacekeepers to leave southern Lebanon, an order the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) refused.
UNIFIL was tasked with enforcing a UN Security Council resolution to assist the Lebanese government secure its border, assisting humanitarian access to civilians and overseeing Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
It’s also authorised to resist forceful attempts to stop it from fulfilling its mandate.
Senator Sharma’s comments came after reports Israeli tanks destroyed the main gate of one of its posts in southern Lebanon to force their way in and demand lights be turned off.
Israel said two tanks reversed a few metres into the UNIFIL post due to the threat of being fired upon, as it worked to evacuate wounded soldiers and that there was no threat to peacekeepers.
UNIFIL forces have previously been injured by Israeli fire.
Australia has joined international condemnation of any targeting of United Nations personnel.
US President Joe Biden has urged the Israeli military to stop firing towards peacekeepers, while Australian officials made representations to the Israeli government both in Canberra and Tel Aviv.
“We have made clear to Israel that any targeting or intimidation of UN personnel and facilities in Lebanon is unacceptable and must cease,” a Foreign Affairs Department spokesperson told AAP.
Hezbollah’s drone attack against Israel, which killed at least four people, was also condemned by Australia.
“We continue to call for a ceasefire and for all parties to show restraint, de-escalate and comply with UN Security Council resolutions,” the foreign affairs spokesperson said.
The Middle East remains on a knife’s edge amid concerns of a full regional conflict as Israel targets Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, and contemplates a retaliatory strike against Iran.
The final Australian government-assisted flight has left Lebanon following months of warnings for citizens and their families to leave as the security situation worsened.
Repatriation flights stopped after a lack of demand as planes returned with empty seats.
A total of 3170 Australians, permanent residents and family members have left Lebanon, and just over 2550 have landed in Australia on repatriation flights. Two further flights arrive in Sydney from Cyprus on Monday and Tuesday.
By Dominic Giannini in Canberra/AAP
