Supporters of Hamas gather for a rally in Melbourne, Australia. Photo: Reuters/Joel Carrett

Anti-Israel activists on Wednesday gathered for an angry demonstration outside a hotel in Melbourne, Australia where a delegation of the families of Israelis murdered and abducted by Hamas were staying, forcing them to evacuate and discuss different security arrangements with police.

Several dozen demonstrators gathered to protest at the hotel after learning the Israel delegation was staying there, according to Hebrew media reports. The activists chanted “shame” and “Free Palestine” while holding signs that equated Zionism with fascism.

The Israeli delegation was evacuated from the hotel to the police station, where they discussed security arrangements for the group while in Australia. Meanwhile, the hotel was reportedly searched by both local police and the security team accompanying the delegation.

Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Ministry has partnered with its Foreign Ministry following the outbreak of the war with Hamas to bring families of Hamas’ victims to major communities of the Jewish diaspora and international forums such as the United Nations to tell their stories and bring to light the plight faced by Israel during the conflict.

On this particular trip, an Israeli delegation went to Australia’s Parliament House, sharing personal stories in an effort to lobby for international support for Israel’s war effort. The Israelis also met with Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and other senior government officials, as well as representatives of the local Jewish communities in Sydney and Melbourne.

Australia is home to about 100,000 Jews, as well as a contingent of Israeli citizens.

The Israeli families saw their loved ones killed or kidnapped on Oct. 7, when Palestinian terrorists led by Hamas massacred over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, across southern Israel and took more than 240 others as hostages during a surprise invasion of the Jewish state. While dozens of hostages have been released from Hamas-ruled Gaza as part of a temporary ceasefire and hostage-prisoner swap deal between the terror group and Israel, over 150 captives remain in the coastal enclave.

Australia has experienced a sharp rise in antisemitism since the Oct. 7 massacre. Amid such a surge in antisemitic incidents, including violent assaults, more than 600 of the country’s prominent personalities have signed an open letter denouncing antisemitism and racism.