Australians remain stuck in Gaza as Israel prepares to attack by 'air, sea and land'

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said work to secure Australians in Gaza a safe passage out is ongoing.

Israeli tanks in formation near the border with Gaza on Friday. Source: Getty / Amir Levy

KEY POINTS

• Australians are stuck in Gaza as Israel prepares for a ground assault.
• Israel's likely invasion of Gaza comes after Hamas launched a surprise attack.
• The significant escalation is the latest in a long-standing conflict between Hamas and Israel.

Australians remain stuck in Gaza as Israeli troops prepare for a ground assault on the Hamas-controlled Palestinian territory.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Sunday told reporters there were 1,234 Australians seeking repatriation as the conflict intensifies.

The majority of those are in Israel, with a small number in Gaza. Wong did not specify how many, but earlier this week said 19 Australians there had registered their interest for repatriation.

Wong said the federal government had scheduled more repatriation flights out of Israel but could not guarantee they would go ahead. It came after one on Saturday was cancelled due to "deterioration of conditions on the ground".

She said work to secure Australians safe passage out of Gaza — where two main passenger border crossings are closed — was ongoing.

• The Israel-Palestinian conflict explained
• What is the Palestinian group Hamas and why has it attacked Israel now?
• Which war crime laws apply in this conflict?

The federal government is hoping to secure a humanitarian corridor through the Rafah border in southern Gaza, which is currently closed. The crossing point to Egypt is the only one in Gaza not controlled by Israel.

She said Saturday's "proposed window for foreign nationals to cross through the border did not eventuate".

"I want to say I know how distressing this is for Australians in Gaza," Wong said. "I want to reiterate our commitment to do everything we can to ensure the border is opened."

Israel has vowed to annihilate the militant group Hamas in retaliation for a rampage eight days ago in which fighters stormed through Israeli towns, shooting men, women and children and seizing hostages in the worst attack on civilians in the country's history.

The significant escalation is the latest in a long-standing conflict between Hamas and Israel.

Hamas is a Palestinian military and political group, gaining power in the Gaza Strip since winning legislative elections there in 2006.

Hamas’s stated aim is to establish a Palestinian state, while refusing to recognise Israel’s right to exist.

A million Gaza residents are reported to have fled their homes since Israel began its bombardment. Source: AAP / Hatem Moussa/AP

Some 1,300 people were killed in the onslaught, with reports from medical and emergency services of atrocities in the towns and kibbutzes that were overrun.

Israel responded by subjecting Gaza to the most intense bombardment it has ever seen, putting the enclave, home to 2.3 million Palestinians, under total siege and destroying much of its infrastructure.

Gaza authorities say more than 2,200 people have been killed, a quarter of them children, and nearly 10,000 wounded. One million people had reportedly left their homes.

On Friday, the Israeli military told residents of the northern half of the Gaza Strip, which includes the enclave's biggest settlement, Gaza City, to move south immediately. On Saturday, it said it would guarantee the safety of Palestinians fleeing on two main roads until a deadline passed.

"IDF (Israel Defense Forces) soldiers and battalions are deployed across the country and are increasing operational readiness for the next stages of the war, with an emphasis on significant ground operations," the military said in a statement on Saturday.

It added this would include air, sea and land assaults and cover an "expanded arena of combat," without elaborating.

Israel's military said troops were "increasing operational readiness for the next stages of the war". Source: AAP / Petros Giannakouris/AP

Hamas told people not to leave and says roads out are unsafe. It said dozens of people were killed in strikes on cars and trucks carrying refugees on Friday, which Reuters could not independently verify.

The Australian government has announced $10 million in humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza.

This includes $3 million to the Red Cross for services such as urgent medical supplies and a further $7 million for emergency water, sanitation, hygiene services and child protection through United Nations agencies.

Hamas, in its entirety, is designated as a terrorist organisation by countries including Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Some countries list only its military wing as a terrorist group.

The United Nations though did not condemn Hamas in its entirety as a terrorist organisation, due to insufficient support from member states to do so during a 2018 vote.

SBS News contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for comment.