The Australian government has asked Qantas and Virgin for urgent help to repatriate Australians from Israel as the death toll in the region mounts. The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, directed the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat) on Monday to commence contingency planning for “assisted-departure flights”, meaning government-backed flights. Guardian Australia understands the minister for transport, Catherine King, has since spoken with the chief executives of both airlines to “convey the government’s sense of urgency and ask them to work with Dfat on options for repatriation flights”. It is believed about 12,000 Australians are in Israel, although many of these are dual nationals who may not necessarily wish to leave. Israel’s military confirmed the death toll from Saturday’s Hamas attacks had passed 1,000, while the Gaza health authority has put the death toll in the enclave at 900. An Israeli military buildup continued along Gaza’s border amid expectations the country would launch a ground invasion within days, while Hamas has threatened to execute hostages if Israel strikes civilian targets without warning. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, was reluctant to be specific when asked on Tuesday whether the government had evacuation plans in place to assist Australian citizens and residents in the coming days. “We are working on a range of contingency arrangements that I won’t detail publicly for obvious reasons, but we do work on these contingencies,” he told ABC TV. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup “It is a priority to keep Australians safe. And the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are working on a 24-hour basis to ensure that whatever support can be given is there. Australia believes in looking after our citizens and that is just what we do.” Wong later on Tuesday urged people not to wait for government-backed repatriation flights if they found a commercial option to leave the region. It is understood at least 122 Australians have left the region since the crisis began at the weekend. Comment is being sought from Qantas and Virgin Australia. The government confirmed on Wednesday that an Australian woman living in Israel, Galit Carbone, had been killed in the Hamas attack, with Wong saying “there is no excuse for the deliberate killing of innocent civilians”. The Coalition opposition has criticised the government for aspects of its response to the developing crisis. The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, and other frontbenchers have demanded that the government convene an urgent meeting of cabinet’s national security committee. The Coalition’s home affairs spokesperson, James Paterson, said on Wednesday that the committee had the power to make decisions about repatriating Australians from Israel. It could also approve “additional resources for community protection and support” in Australia. “We know from the past in 2006 with the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel that there was threats against the Jewish community here in Australia,” Paterson told Sky News. “It should have been immediately clear when these events occurred that the first thing that should have happened was convening the national security committee cabinet, and I just can’t believe the prime minister hasn’t done so.” The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, told 3AW he wouldn’t confirm the timing of such meetings, but the Coalition was “playing politics in a moment where this should be above politics”. Marles said from the moment the crisis began, ministers have been working with each other and security agencies and departments and “making the decisions the government needs to make”.