Explosions have been reported near Beirut’s airport,which could close at any time,frustrating the government’s plans to help Australians flee.
As the world looks on in horror at events unfolding in the Middle East,Herald journalists Kate Geraghty and Matthew Knott,who have just arrived in Israel,talk about what it’s like to fly into a conflict zone.
The Middle East remains on high alert as the Israeli military orders evacuations from dozens of Lebanese towns and continues to bombard targets in Beirut.
As political debate reignites over October 7 protests and free speech,some seek to draw distinctions between the right to protest and what is right.
Roads are empty. Streets quiet. In lieu of plastic bistro chairs,there are shards of glass and jagged chunks of concrete splayed across the pavement.
The Israeli military released video claiming to show its troops and a tank operating in southern Lebanon. The video was said to show Israel Defense Forces soldiers on the move,as well an airstrike against Hezbollah.
Israeli and Hezbollah troops clashed on the ground in Lebanon on Wednesday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed retaliation,saying Iran “made a big mistake”.
On a day the opposition accused Labor of “appeasing” anti-Western forces,Foreign Minister Penny Wong backed Israel’s right to defend itself against Iran.
Joe Biden spoke out after Israel’s security cabinet was reported to have resolved to take direct military action against Iran,perhaps in the next few days.
Israel’s intensified air campaign against Hezbollah has upended a country already grappling with multiple crises and personal losses.
Australian drivers face a heightened risk of petrol prices climbing yet again if fighting in the Middle East intensifies and disrupts oil supply.