The first two flights carrying hundreds of Australians fleeing Lebanon have landed in Cyprus after the federal government warned them to leave the war-torn country immediately.

On Saturday morning, the government revealed it had secured seats on flights out of Lebanon for Australians, permanent residents and their immediate families.

“Do not wait, leave immediately,” the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said.

A further two flights were planned for Sunday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong posted to X, on Saturday night.

Qantas will operate two non-stop Boeing 787 flights from Cyprus to Sydney with capacity for up to 440 passengers.

The first 22-hour flight will depart on Monday night (local time), arriving in Sydney on Tuesday. The second will leave on Wednesday.

Qantas has put the word out for pilots and cabin crew members to volunteer to operate the free flights.

“This is expected to be oversubscribed as it was with the special assistance flights from Tel Aviv in October 2023, when 900 cabin crew expressed their interest for 70 positions,” the airline said.

About 4900 registered Australians are in Lebanon. More than 3000 are registered as wanting to leave. It’s believed more than 700 people have already left.

At Larnaca airport, in Cyprus, civilians of all ages transferred from an aircraft into a terminal and were then escorted onto waiting coaches.

Children helped themselves to apples and water provided by Australian military staff.

“They are exhausted, exceptionally happy to be here but heartbroken because they left family behind,” Australian High Commissioner to Cyprus Fiona McKergow said.

Anniversary vigils begin

A candlelight vigil will be held at a secret location on the eve of the first anniversary of a deadly Hamas-led attack on Israel.

Jewish community representatives will lead an hour-long sunset candle-lighting ceremony in Sydney’s east on Sunday.

The ceremony, featuring tributes to those killed and taken hostage by Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023, will be the first major Australian event marking the anniversary.

Multiple speakers including yet-to-be-announced guests from Israel will speak at the event, which was jointly organised by the Israeli embassy, Zionist Federation and NSW Jewish Board of Deputies.

Vigils will also be held in Sydney and Melbourne on Monday night, with police in Victoria bolstering patrols around the community event and synagogues.

The events of October 7 reignited a decades-long conflict in the Middle East, first in the Gaza Strip before intensifying in Lebanon in recent weeks.

Supporters of Palestine will rally at Melbourne’s State Library and Sydney’s Town Hall on Sunday as they do every week, with a heavy police presence expected at both events.

Organisers of the NSW protest brokered a deal not to march near Sydney’s Great Synagogue.

A vigil for those killed in Gaza will be held near the city centre on Monday, with another event at Lakemba Mosque.

Police chiefs around the nation had raised concerns some people could use the rallies to display symbols linked to designated terror groups such as Hezbollah after last weekend’s protests featured a small number of Hezbollah flags and images of leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated by Israel.

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said organisers undertook not to permit flags, portraits, symbols or other support for any proscribed terrorist organisation.

“If they stick to that agreement and the people who come to this protest do it in good faith and for the right reasons, then hopefully they’ll be able to come in and come out and there will be no issues,” he said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged anyone planning demonstrations on the anniversary of the greatest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust to reconsider their actions on what should be a solemn day.

“Think about whether your cause is being advanced or set back,” he said on Friday.

October 7 marks one year since militant groups including Hamas – designated a terrorist organisation by the Australian government – crossed the border from Gaza into southern Israel.

More than 1200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage, according to the Israeli government.

In response, Israel unleashed a bombing campaign and ground invasion of Gaza, killing almost 42,000 people, displacing 1.9 million and leaving another 500,000 with catastrophic levels of food insecurity, local health ministry sources report.

Israel’s military campaign has now spread to Lebanon as it hunts down senior figures in Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group backed by Iran and designated a terrorist organisation by Australia.

Lebanon bombardment expands

Israel has expanded its bombardment in Lebanon, hitting Beirut’s southern suburbs with a dozen airstrikes and striking a Palestinian refugee camp deep in the north for the first time as it targeted both Hezbollah and Hamas fighters.

Thousands of people in Lebanon, including Palestinian refugees, continued to flee the widening conflict in the region while rallies were held around the world marking the approaching anniversary of the start of the war in the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s attack on the Beddawi camp near Lebanon’s northern city of Tripoli killed an official with Hamas’ military wing along with his wife and two young daughters, the Palestinian militant group said.

Hamas later said another military wing member was killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley.

Israel’s military said it killed two senior officials with Hamas’ military wing in Lebanon, where fighting has escalated in recent weeks.

Israel has killed several Hamas members there since the Israel-Hamas war began, in addition to most of the top leadership of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah.

At least 1400 Lebanese, also including civilians and paramedics, have been killed and 1.2 million driven from homes in less than two weeks.

Plumes of smoke dominated the skyline over Beirut’s densely populated southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a strong presence.

Israel says it is targeting Hezbollah commanders and military equipment and aims to drive the militant group away from shared borders.

The Iranian-backed Hezbollah, the strongest armed force in Lebanon, began firing rockets into Israel almost immediately after Hamas’ October 7 attack, calling it a show of support for the Palestinians.

Hezbollah and Israel’s military have traded fire almost daily.