Hundreds of Australians have left Lebanon on the latest round of evacuation flights, as the deputy prime minister says Israel's military response in the region will be closely watched.
On Saturday night, two flights carrying a total of 407 Australians, permanent residents and their immediate family members touched down in Larnaca, Cyprus.
The passengers are in temporary accommodation awaiting their return to Australia on Qantas and Qatar Airways flights leaving from Sunday.
Australians are being urged to leave Lebanon as soon as possible as Israel's bombing intensifies. (HANDOUT/DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE)
On Sunday night AEDT, two more flights will take off from Beirut for the 45-minute trip to Larnaca.
The first homeward-bound flight, with Qatar Airlines, will leave Cyprus before midnight on Sunday AEDT.
Qantas will operate two 22-hour flights from Larnaca to Sydney on Monday, with the planes set to land on Tuesday and Wednesday.
As of Sunday morning, 3679 Australians were registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as wanting to leave Lebanon, with 1765 registered for information only.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles reiterated pleas for Australians in Lebanon to return home as soon as possible.
"We will continue to work with (Australians in Lebanon) and to provide those opportunities to leave, but people simply have to take those opportunities as they are provided," he told ABC's Insiders program on Sunday.
"This is obviously taking place in an extremely difficult situation and we have got other preparations on plan."
More flights are planned for coming days, subject to demand and the security situation.— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) Australians in Lebanon should register with DFAT's crisis portal or call the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 (overseas) or 1300 555 135 (Australia). pic.twitter.com/NzTVks0gIgOctober 5, 2024
The first repatriated Australians are due to arrive home on the first anniversary of the deadly Hamas-led attack on Israel on Monday.
It comes as thousands of people attended pro-Palestine rallies in Sydney and Melbourne on Sunday.
With a heavy police presence, rallygoers said they would not be silenced, chanting calls for Palestine to be free.
Ahead of the rally, protesters were warned not to display symbols linked to designated terrorist groups such as Hezbollah.
Some at the Sydney event were seen carrying green-and-yellow flags echoing the design of the Hezbollah flag.
Crowds rallied in support of Palestinians in Melbourne and other cities around the nation. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)
The October 7 anniversary comes as Israel carries out bombardments in Lebanon, while also vowing to retaliate against Iran following missile strikes.
Mr Marles said while Israel had the right to self defence, it needed to do so properly.
"We've also made clear over the course of the last 12 months that how (Israel) defends itself will be judged," he said.
"We have seen tens of thousands of innocent lives lost in Gaza and indeed innocent lives lost in Lebanon. We are, of course, horrified by that."
Mr Marles said Australia was in lockstep with western allies in its calls for Israel's military response to be measured.
"What we've seen is a cycle of violence here, and no one wants to see this escalate into a broader conflict."
A candlelight vigil for the Jewish community will be held at a secret location in Sydney's east on Sunday evening, in what will be the first major Australian event marking the anniversary.
October 7 marks one year since militant groups including Hamas - designated a terrorist organisation by the Australian government - crossed the border from Gaza into southern Israel.
More than 1200 people were killed and 250 were taken hostage, according to the Israeli government.
In response, Israel unleashed a bombing campaign and ground invasion of Gaza, killing almost 42,000 people, displacing 1.9 million and leaving another 500,000 with catastrophic levels of food insecurity, local health ministry sources report.
Israel's military campaign has now spread to Lebanon as it hunts down senior figures in Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group backed by Iran and designated a terrorist organisation by Australia.