Hundreds of Australians and their families have returned home after fleeing Israel's growing assault on Lebanon.
The Australian government has urged citizens in the Middle East to return home as Israel intensifies its bombing campaign against Hezbollah on the anniversary of Hamas's attack.
And on Monday night, a government-assisted flight touched down in Australia for the first time since Israel's most recent strikes on Lebanon.
Dana Hamieh was among the 349 people who arrived in Sydney on the Qatar Airways flight after fleeing the Lebanese capital of Beirut.
"We were lucky to get out of there because as we were at the airport they were bombing the surrounding suburbs," she said.
"It was a very difficult situation to be in. Leaving our homes, our parents' homeland and our houses and friends and relatives."
Thousands more are expected to follow, with almost 3800 Australians and immediate family members registered to depart with the Department of Foreign Affairs.
They will travel from Lebanon into Larnaca in Cyprus before returning to Australia on connecting flights.
In two weeks, Israel's bombing campaign has killed more than 1400 Lebanese people and left another 1.2 million without homes.
And on the anniversary of Hamas's October 7 attack, Israel launched its heaviest bombardment of Lebanon's capital since it escalated the conflict against Iran-backed group Hezbollah.
Hezbollah reportedly wounded 10 people in Haifa and Tiberias with its own rocket attack following Israeli strikes on Sunday, local time.
The Middle East remains on edge as Israel contemplates how it will retaliate against an Iranian missile barrage amid its battle against Iranian proxies Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, all listed as terrorist organisations by Australia.
Israel besieged, bombarded and then invaded Gaza in response to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, that killed about 1200 people, with some 250 others taken hostage, according to Israel.
More than 41,000 people have been killed in Gaza since its counterattack, with the vast majority of the territory's residents displaced and facing starvation, according to the local health ministry and humanitarian organisations.
Two more flights were also scheduled to leave Beirut on Tuesday.
A Qantas plane is set to bring up to 220 more passengers home on Tuesday.
Passengers will be met by Australian Red Cross crew, including psychological first aid provisions, in Sydney on Tuesday and will then be flown on to their nearest airport Qantas operates out of.
Medical personnel will also be onboard the flight to provide assistance and a second flight will leave on Wednesday and arrive back in Australia on Thursday.
The federal government is working to secure further seats on commercial airlines out of Lebanon, but Foreign Minister Penny Wong noted flights out "are subject to security and operational restrictions".
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese marked the October 7 anniversary by mourning the loss of innocent lives and declaring there was no place for hatred in Australia as vigils are held to commemorate those killed by Hamas and those who remain hostage.
But rallies and vigils from pro-Palestinian groups have drawn condemnation for being held on October 7, with critics calling it insensitive.
Organisers and pro-Palestinian groups say the vigils also commemorate the loss of innocent lives as they call for the Australian government to take action against Israel to prevent further casualties.
More than 230 people were killed in Gaza and almost 1700 injured from Israeli airstrikes by the end of the day after Hamas' October 7 attack, according to the United Nations.
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