Hundreds of Australians are preparing to board repatriation flights out of Israel as a ground war looms in Gaza.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said 1600 people had registered in Israel or the West Bank, including 19 in Gaza, for repatriation in what was an "extraordinary logistical exercise".
A Qantas flight was due to depart Ben Gurion International Airport on Friday night for London, with a connecting flight planned from London to Sydney via Singapore on Tuesday.