Australia is sending two military aircraft and an unspecified number of troops to the Middle East in case more of its citizens need to leave the conflict zone.
The Canberra government fears the war between Israel and the militant group Hamas could escalate and cause violence in other Middle Eastern countries.
Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles said that for security reasons, he would not confirm exactly where the military planes and troops would be stationed.
Marles said there were 79 Australian citizens in Gaza, the coastal enclave that has been under Israeli bombardment since attacks on Israeli communities by Hamas militants.
The Canberra government has already organized several repatriation flights to help its citizens leave Israel, although further evacuation flights have not been scheduled.
Marles said there are still a "significant" number of Australians in the Middle East.
He told local media Wednesday that the military deployment would help with evacuations if the conflict between Israel and Hamas spreads.
“The point of this is to provide to Australian populations who are in the Middle East if this gets worse, in essence," he said. "It is a volatile situation. We are very much hoping it does not. We hope that this is confined to Israel and Gaza. We want to make sure that we are prepared if matters do get worse.”
Australia has had diplomatic relations with Israel since 1949. In Canberra, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has said “Australia has a warm and close relationship with Israel.”
Politically, Canberra is committed to a two-state solution in which Israel and a future Palestinian state co‑exist within internationally recognized borders.
Authorities in Canberra have updated the nation’s travel advice since the violence started in early October.
They are urging Australian citizens to reconsider their “need to travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories overall due to the volatile security situation.”
Similar advice is in place for Egypt.
Australians are urged not to travel to Lebanon. In Jordan, they are advised by authorities to “exercise a high degree of caution…overall due to the threat of terrorist attack.”
