As the prime minister outlined to caucus his approach to the Middle East conflict, a poll has found 36 per cent of Australians believe the country is less safe.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has expressed relief after a group of Australians crossed the border out of Gaza and into Egypt, as the Middle Eastern conflict rages on.
Israeli warplanes and artillery struck targets in Syria following rare rocket fire from the north-eastern neighbour, as Jewish-Muslim tensions reached a peak at a volatile Jerusalem shrine with simultaneous religious rituals.
