Canberra: A group of Australians who were stranded in Gaza have been evacuated to Egypt, the government has confirmed.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) on Thursday said that 20 Australian citizens who were trapped in Gaza left the region through the Rafah border crossing into Egypt on Wednesday.
Another two family members of Australian citizens and one permanent resident of Australia who registered with DFAT for government assistance leaving Gaza were also evacuated.
Penny Wong, the minister for foreign affairs, told state media Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio that the evacuees were met by Australian consular officials and taken to Cairo where ongoing travel arrangements will be made.
“We are supporting those families and Australian citizens who did get out overnight,” she said.
According to the government, there are 65 Australians who are still in Gaza who have registered with DFAT.
The federal government has not announced plans for any more repatriation flights for citizens who wish to leave Palestine, Israel or Lebanon but in October deployed two Royal Australian Air Force aircraft to the Middle East to aid with potential future evacuation efforts.
