Australian family’s desperate plea to government to help get relatives stuck in Gaza to safety
An Australian family has spoken out in a desperate bid to help secure their loved ones trapped in Gaza.
Sara El-Masry, her husband and two young children from Western Sydney are stuck in the Palestinian territory.
Israeli forces are massing on the Gaza border preparing to launch a massive ground offensive following surprise attacks by the Hamas terror group on October 7.
The Israeli death toll from the attacks is around 1,300, and President Benjamin Netanyahu has told 1.1 million Palestinians to evacuate or face retaliation.
A relative of the trapped family, Maryam El-Masry, spoke Friday from her home in Sydney.
“She’s sending her goodbye messages when she can, she’s with my niece and nephew,” Ms El-Mary told Nine News.
She added that they had recently lost contact with their family.
‘Are they still alive? Are they still with us?’
“As Australians I would think that the Australian government can obviously help them, support them, get them back to Australia where it can be safe for them.”
Sara El-Masry, her husband and two young children are stuck in Gaza and her family is desperate to get them home
A relative, Maryam El-Masry, from home in Sydney has urged the Australian government to act quickly as Israel prepares for a massive ground attack on Gaza.
At least 19 Australians are understood to be stranded in the territory with borders closed and no direct exit.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said he and the Australian government are working to ensure their safe passage.
“We are discussing with the Egyptian government the potential of getting them out into Egypt through that southern border,” he said on Friday.
On the other side of the border, where it is easier to leave, Mr Albanese said 1,600 Australians had registered in Israel or the West Bank for repatriation in what was a “tremendous logistical exercise”.
A Qantas flight will depart Ben Gurion International Airport on Friday evening for London, with a connecting flight scheduled from London to Sydney via Singapore on Tuesday.
The initial flight is expected to land in Sydney on Wednesday morning.
A second Qantas flight will depart from Tel Aviv on Sunday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government was doing everything it could to get Australians home
The government confirmed on Friday at least two more charter flights would take Australians from Tel Aviv to Dubai, separate from the Qantas flights.
“We’re doing everything we can – this is a tremendous logistical exercise while a war is going on,” Mr Albanese told Nine’s Today Show on Friday.
Qantas said 900 crew had volunteered for the flights, far more than the 70 required.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong urged Australians who want to leave not to delay.
“This is a very difficult situation… The United States and other parties are looking to establish humanitarian access, humanitarian corridors, and Australia supports those efforts,” she told reporters in Adelaide.
Mr Albanese also confirmed that Virgin and Qatar Airways had offered to help Australians trying to leave.
About 10,000 Australian citizens are in Israel, including dual citizens and tourists.
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