Penny Wong Condemns Israeli Official's Threat to Flatten Beirut Suburb
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has strongly condemned an Israeli government official for stating that Israel would make part of Lebanon's capital, Beirut, resemble the devastated Gaza Strip. Wong made her remarks on Friday in response to comments by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who sits on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet.
Evacuation Orders and Airstrikes Escalate Tensions
Hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing the Dahieh suburb in southern Beirut following evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military. Israeli Defence Force Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee warned residents on social media platform X to "save your lives and evacuate your homes immediately", prohibiting any movement south due to life-threatening risks.
Within hours of the order, Adraee announced that the military had launched a wave of airstrikes targeting Hezbollah's infrastructure in Beirut's southern suburbs. At least 50 villages and settlements in the region's south have been ordered to evacuate, heightening fears among residents.
Smotrich explicitly stated, "We are now on the northern border, after the IDF gave instructions to all residents of Dahieh to evacuate. Dahieh will look like Khan Younis", referring to a city in Gaza that was reduced to rubble after similar evacuation orders.
Wong's Response and Israeli Clarification
Wong labeled Smotrich's comments as "completely unacceptable". She later referenced a clarification from the Israeli ambassador, who asserted that Smotrich's statement did not reflect the wider Israeli government's official position. "The Israeli ambassador has clarified that they are not the position of the government," Wong noted, deferring to this diplomatic update.
The situation draws parallels to Khan Younis in Gaza, where about 150,000 people fled with minimal belongings after last-minute evacuation orders, leading to what international aid groups described as a "mass displacement". A UN assessment revealed unexploded bombs and significant damage to medical centres and schools in the city.
Broader Conflict and Regional Impact
Israeli forces have been occupying several border points in Lebanon since a US-brokered ceasefire in November 2024 halted the previous Israel-Hezbollah war. The latest conflict, triggered by Israeli and US attacks on Iran, prompted Hezbollah to launch missiles and drones into Israel for the first time in over a year, with Israel retaliating by bombarding southern Lebanon.
Fleeing residents in Beirut express deep fear, with one stating, "We don't put anything past them (Israel), they will strike us no matter where we go", and another lamenting, "We got sucked into a mess that we have nothing to do with".
Wong Addresses Australians Stuck in Middle East
In addition to the geopolitical tensions, Wong voiced her "disappointment" at the slow return of Australians stranded in the Middle East amid the escalating war. She reported that four more Australia-bound flights from the region are expected in the next 24 hours, following discussions with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
With approximately 115,000 Australians in the region, including 24,000 in the UAE, Wong acknowledged the stress caused by disrupted travel due to airport closures and flight cancellations. "I am pleased that we are seeing some flights now starting to come back," she said, emphasizing efforts to work with airlines and governments to expedite returns.
Wong expressed frustration that some returning flights were only half-filled, stating, "That is really disappointing and I'm disappointed with that. We want every seat filled", and pledged to collaborate more closely with airlines to maximize passenger capacity on repatriation vessels.
