Australian family’s desperate plea to the government to help get their relatives stuck in Gaza to safety

An Australian family has spoken out in a desperate attempt to help get their relatives trapped in Gaza to safety. 

Sara El-Masry her husband and two young children from Western Sydney are stuck in the Palestinian territory. 

Israeli forces are amassing on the on the Gaza border preparing to launch a massive ground assault after surprise attacks by terrorist group Hamas on October 7.

The Israeli death toll from the attacks stands at about 1300 and president Benjamin Netanyahu has told 1.1million Palestinians to evacuate or be caught up in the retaliation.

A relative of the trapped family, Maryam El-Masry, spoke out on Friday from her home in Sydney.

‘She’s sending her goodbye messages when she can, she’s with my niece and my nephew,’ Ms El-Mary told Nine News.

She added they had recently lost contact with the family. 

‘Are they still alive? Are they still with us?’

‘As Australians I would think that the Australian government can obviously help them, support them, bring them back to Australia where it can be safe for them.’

A relative, Maryam El-Masry, from back home in Sydney has urged the Australian government to act quickly as Israel readies for a massive ground assault of Gaza 

It is understood at least 19 Australians are trapped in the territory with the borders closed and no direct way out.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said he and the Australian government are working to secure their safe passage. 

‘We are having discussions with the Egyptian government about the potential to get them out into Egypt through that southern border,’ he said on Friday.

On the other side of border where it is easier to leave, Mr Albanese said 1600 Australians had registered in Israel or the West Bank for repatriation in what was an ‘extraordinary logistical exercise’.

A Qantas flight is due to depart Ben Gurion International Airport on Friday night for London, with a connection flight planned from London to Sydney via Singapore on Tuesday.

The initial flight is expected to land in Sydney on Wednesday morning.

A second Qantas flight will leave Tel Aviv on Sunday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government is doing all it can to get Australians back home

The government confirmed on Friday at least two further charter flights would take Australians from Tel Aviv to Dubai, separate to the Qantas flights.

‘We’re doing all that we can – this is an extraordinary logistical exercise while a war is going on,’ Mr Albanese told Nine’s Today Show on Friday.

Qantas said 900 crew had volunteered for the flights, far exceeding the 70 required.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong urged Australians wanting to leave not to delay.

‘This is a very difficult situation … the United States and other parties are seeking to establish humanitarian access, humanitarian corridors, and Australia supports those efforts,’ she told reporters in Adelaide.

Mr Albanese also confirmed that Virgin and Qatar Airways had offered to help Australians trying to leave.

An estimated 10,000 Australian citizens are in Israel, including dual citizens and tourists.