Australia deploys more aircraft, personnel to Middle East
A view of the site of an Israeli strike on a house, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, October 24, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
SYDNEY - Australia said on Wednesday it had deployed two more military aircraft and a "significant number" of defence personnel to the Middle East to help support its citizens there if the ongoing war between Israel and militant group Hamas escalates.
A deadly cross-border attack by Iran-backed Hamas on Oct. 7 stunned Israel, killing more than 1,400 people, while the Palestinian health ministry said at least 5,791 Palestinians had been killed by subsequent Israeli bombardments, including 2,360 children.
Australia sent a Boeing C-17 aircraft and an air refueler plane that has the capacity to carry passengers, taking the total to three, Defence Minister Richard Marles said.
He did not disclose the total number of personnel deployed and where the aircraft would be based due to security reasons but said they would not be based in Israel.
"It is a significant number of personnel, though, and they're there to support the aircraft and to support what that aircraft might ultimately have to do," Marles told Channel Nine.
"All of this is a contingency and the purpose of it is to be supporting Australian populations that are in the Middle East ... this is a very volatile situation and we just don't absolutely know which way it goes from here."
Since the conflict began, the Australian government has conducted repatriation flights for citizens stranded in Israel. It has been trying to rescue 79 Australians from the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip and 51 from the West Bank.
Australians in Gaza should try to move toward the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, the main entry and exit point to Gaza that does not lead to Israel, Marles said.
Marles urged Australians in Lebanon who want to leave the country to use all options available after deadly clashes between Israel and Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.
Australia on Wednesday also unveiled a new A$20 million ($12.7 million) military package for Ukraine, taking its total aid to A$910 million since Russia invaded in February 2022.
SYDNEY - Australia said on Wednesday it had deployed two more military aircraft and a "significant number" of defence personnel to the Middle East to help support its citizens there if the ongoing war between Israel and militant group Hamas escalates.
A deadly cross-border attack by Iran-backed Hamas on Oct. 7 stunned Israel, killing more than 1,400 people, while the Palestinian health ministry said at least 5,791 Palestinians had been killed by subsequent Israeli bombardments, including 2,360 children.
Australia sent a Boeing C-17 aircraft and an air refueler plane that has the capacity to carry passengers, taking the total to three, Defence Minister Richard Marles said.
He did not disclose the total number of personnel deployed and where the aircraft would be based due to security reasons but said they would not be based in Israel.
"It is a significant number of personnel, though, and they're there to support the aircraft and to support what that aircraft might ultimately have to do," Marles told Channel Nine.
"All of this is a contingency and the purpose of it is to be supporting Australian populations that are in the Middle East ... this is a very volatile situation and we just don't absolutely know which way it goes from here."
Since the conflict began, the Australian government has conducted repatriation flights for citizens stranded in Israel. It has been trying to rescue 79 Australians from the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip and 51 from the West Bank.
Australians in Gaza should try to move toward the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, the main entry and exit point to Gaza that does not lead to Israel, Marles said.
Marles urged Australians in Lebanon who want to leave the country to use all options available after deadly clashes between Israel and Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.
Australia on Wednesday also unveiled a new A$20 million ($12.7 million) military package for Ukraine, taking its total aid to A$910 million since Russia invaded in February 2022.
REUTERS
S&P lowers Israel's rating outlook to negative on war risks
The New Arab Staff & Agencies
25 October, 2023
Amid growing concern that Israel's attack on Gaza could spark a wider regional conflict, Israel's credit outlook has been downgraded to negative.
Israeli soldiers move into the border region with Lebanon, with many predicting that Hezbollah could open up a second front with Israel
RELATED
IMF warns of inflation, oil crisis amid Israel's Gaza war
On Tuesday, S&P said it revised the outlook for its "AA-" long-term foreign and local currency ratings on Israel to negative.
S&P's decision comes less than a week after agency Moody's Investors Service put the Israeli government's A1 credit ratings on review for downgrade, pointing to the "unexpected and violent conflict between Israel and Hamas."
Fitch Ratings has also announced that it was placing Israel's A+ foreign- and local-currency issuer default ratings on negative watch over risks from the confli24.
This comes from security-related disruptions and reduced business activity, alongside the drafting of reservists and other factors like a confidence shock.
Added budgetary measures to help households and businesses, on top of a rise in defense spending, is also expected to raise the government deficit, said S&P.
Should the conflict widen "materially," S&P added that it could cut ratings on the country.
The New Arab Staff & Agencies
25 October, 2023
Amid growing concern that Israel's attack on Gaza could spark a wider regional conflict, Israel's credit outlook has been downgraded to negative.
Israeli soldiers move into the border region with Lebanon, with many predicting that Hezbollah could open up a second front with Israel
S&P Global Ratings said Tuesday it was lowering Israel's credit outlook from stable to negative, citing risks that the Israel's war on Gaza could broaden, with a more pronounced impact on the economy.
In a notice, the credit rating agency said: "The negative outlook reflects the risk that the Israel-Hamas war could spread more widely or affect Israel's credit metrics more negatively than we expect."
"We currently assume the conflict will remain centered in Gaza and last no more than three to six months," it added.
On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel from Gaza killing 1.400 people, following months of increasingly deadly Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank, as well as threats to the sovereignty of Al-Aqsa and within the wider context of the 17-year-long crippling Israel-imposed siege of Gaza.
More than 5,700 Palestinians, including over 2000 children, have been killed across the Gaza Strip in unprecedented Israeli bombardments, the territory's health ministry said.
In a notice, the credit rating agency said: "The negative outlook reflects the risk that the Israel-Hamas war could spread more widely or affect Israel's credit metrics more negatively than we expect."
"We currently assume the conflict will remain centered in Gaza and last no more than three to six months," it added.
On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel from Gaza killing 1.400 people, following months of increasingly deadly Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank, as well as threats to the sovereignty of Al-Aqsa and within the wider context of the 17-year-long crippling Israel-imposed siege of Gaza.
More than 5,700 Palestinians, including over 2000 children, have been killed across the Gaza Strip in unprecedented Israeli bombardments, the territory's health ministry said.
RELATED
IMF warns of inflation, oil crisis amid Israel's Gaza war
On Tuesday, S&P said it revised the outlook for its "AA-" long-term foreign and local currency ratings on Israel to negative.
S&P's decision comes less than a week after agency Moody's Investors Service put the Israeli government's A1 credit ratings on review for downgrade, pointing to the "unexpected and violent conflict between Israel and Hamas."
Fitch Ratings has also announced that it was placing Israel's A+ foreign- and local-currency issuer default ratings on negative watch over risks from the confli24.
This comes from security-related disruptions and reduced business activity, alongside the drafting of reservists and other factors like a confidence shock.
Added budgetary measures to help households and businesses, on top of a rise in defense spending, is also expected to raise the government deficit, said S&P.
Should the conflict widen "materially," S&P added that it could cut ratings on the country.
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