Trading smoke and fear in the Middle East to the warm hugs of her grandchildren, Houda Ammoun says she’s thankful to be back in Australia.
The Sydney woman was among 220 Australians and permanent residents to touch down in Sydney late on Tuesday night after being evacuated from Lebanon.
But, like many, she’s concerned for the family left behind.
“It’s very hard, I can’t explain it, the smoke and everything,” she said breaking down in tears.
“I’m very happy to be back home because over there is very, very sad. It’s not fair, why should we do this, (it’s) our home, our houses, our families.”
Beginning with a pager attack targeting militant group Hezbollah, Israel’s bombing campaign has killed more than 1400 Lebanese people since September 17. It’s the latest escalation in conflict in the region, following a Hamas invasion of Israel in October 2023 that killed 1200 people and a counter-attack that has all but levelled Gaza and killed at least 42,000 people.
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The government-chartered flight, the first operated by Qantas, is among several ferrying 1200 people out as Israeli strikes rain down on the country. Commercial flights have been cancelled in recent weeks due to the recent conflict.
Jacob Mohammed arrived on the first repatriation flight on Monday but was back at the airport on Tuesday awaiting his mother, sister and brother.
“For three weeks we’d been trying to get out, trying to book to Turkey, anything,” he said, while heaping praise on Australian officials behind the evacuation.
Residents of other cities were flown to their nearest home domestic airport Qantas operates to, at no cost.
