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An Australian expat living in Israel has described her family’s frantic flight to an air raid shelter during deadly Hamas attacks.
Mebourne mother Emily Gian and her family were given only 30 seconds of warning to reach an underground bomb shelter before missiles arrived in Yehud, south of Tel Aviv, on Saturday.
Hamas, recognized as a terrorist organization by Australia, fired thousands of rockets into Israel, taking the country by surprise – celebrating a religious holiday.
Some 2,200 missiles were fired, killing at least 250 people and injuring 1,500 others, making it the deadliest attack in Israel in decades.
Ms Gian’s “terrifying” experiences came as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was criticized for being slow to respond and his Foreign Minister Penny Wong was criticized for calling on Israel to act with “restraint”.
The Coalition MP said Ms Wong’s calls for restraint were “unbelievable”.
Melbourne mum Emily Gian (pictured left, trying to put on a brave face for her children) had 30 seconds of warning to reach an underground bomb shelter before a missile attack targeting Tel Aviv.
More than 2,200 missiles launched from Gaza hit Israel
Penny Wong criticized for advising Israel to show ‘restraint’ in response
“Israel has every right to defend itself with all necessary force,” Mr. Sukkar said.
Ms Gian was “confused” when a friend texted her to ask if she was okay before the missiles started raining down.
“Thirty seconds later, red alert siren. All three children were sleeping soundly,” she posted on social media.
“As gently as possible, we woke all three of us and took them to the shelter.”
Ms Gian described how she and her family had to run for their lives to the shelter several times this weekend as bombs fell nearby.
“I was just sitting outside with my husband, trying to catch my breath…I asked him what hypothetical direction a rocket would come from,” she said.
“As he pointed, the red alert sirens went off. To the shelter. Followed by many booms.
“My heart is breaking,” she posted online Saturday night, adding, “I feel this so deeply…I can’t close my eyes.”
Ms. Gian and her family moved to Israel three months ago, but had visited there several times before moving.
She said 9News she has never experienced a conflict like this in Israel for “more than 20 years”.
“I have gone through different phases with terrorism, but I have never seen anything like this in my life… with old ladies taken from their homes, mothers holding their children in their arms and dragged with the other side of the street,’ she said.
Ms. Gian called Hamas “barbarians and cowards” on her social media account, saying anyone who defends it “has a special place in hell.”
‘Barbarians. They are targeting our hospitals while their leaders are likely holed up under their own hospitals in Gaza, knowing that Israel will take better care of civilians than they will. Cowards.’
Coalition says Israel has ‘every right’ to defend itself, although opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham pleaded for ‘all parties’ to work together to protect innocent lives and end the violence.
The highest national body representing Australian Jewry has said calls for de-escalation from “both sides” are “ill-conceived and only play into the hands of terrorists”.
Ms. Gian called Hamas “barbarians and cowards” on her social media account, saying anyone who defends it “has a special place in hell.”
Images from Israel after missile attacks horrified the world
A rocket is launched from the coastal Gaza Strip towards Israel by militants of the Ezz Al-Din Al Qassam militia, the military wing of the Hamas movement, in Gaza City.
It comes as the Coalition attacks Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over his delayed response to events.
World leaders and diplomats were quick to condemn the Palestinian attack, including Senator Wong.
“Australia unequivocally condemns Hamas’ attacks on Israel, including indiscriminate rocket fire on towns and civilians,” she wrote on X – formerly known as Twitter.
“We call for an end to these attacks and recognize Israel’s right to defend itself.
“Australia calls for restraint and the protection of civilian lives.”
But it was the final words of Senator Wong’s statement that drew the ire of opposition shadow MP Michael Sukkar.
“Amazing, detention? Israel has every right to defend itself with all necessary force,” he said.
In his own statement, Senator Birmingham strongly condemned Hamas’ actions and urged “all parties to protect innocent lives and work to end the violence.”
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said it was “yet another example of a deliberate act of violence aimed at inflicting maximum harm on innocent civilians”.
“The attack is a provocation. Israel has every right to defend itself in response and deter future attacks and other acts of aggression, coercion and interference,” he said.
Residents look at the wreckage of destroyed vehicles in Ashkelon following a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel on October 7
Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley was quick to denounce Mr Albanese for his late response.
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry said the actions “constitute egregious war crimes” targeting civilians and “an armed attack on a sovereign state.”
“We expect the State of Israel to take all necessary measures to defend itself, defeat Hamas terrorist forces and restore peace for Israeli citizens,” said Chief Executive Alex Ryvchin.
“We call on the Australian government to unequivocally condemn these egregious crimes. Any call for de-escalation by “both sides” or any attempt to draw equivalences between the crimes of a terrorist organization and the defensive measures of a sovereign and democratic state are ill-conceived and only play into the hands of terrorists.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Sunday morning condemned the “heinous attack on Israel” but said Israel had “the right to defend itself.”
“It’s a terrible circumstance that people didn’t see coming,” he told ABC’s Insiders.
“We are of course concerned about an escalation.
“There is no precedent for what is happening here.”
Mr Albanese had previously been attacked by the Coalition for taking more than 12 hours to respond to the attacks, writing at 6.23am on Sunday on social media site Australia “stands with our friend Israel during this time”.
Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley was quick to denounce Mr Albanese for his late response.
“It took him until 6 a.m. this morning to make a public statement on this. You don’t get nights off as a world leader and around the world we saw an immediate reaction from from world leaders… and it took until this morning for Anthony Albanese to make that statement. I think he needs to be asked about it today,” she told Sky News.
“I question his timing… You don’t get time off.”