Free calls to Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Afghanistan

We're making it easier to stay in touch with friends and family in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Brad Whitcomb · 26 September 2024 · 2 minute read

If you’re a Telstra customer with family and friends in the Middle East or Afghanistan, we know that getting in touch is what’s most important right now, not the cost of the call. That’s why calls are now free from Australia to Israel, the Palestinian territories, or Afghanistan. 

From 12:01am AEDT tonight (Wednesday, 11 October), we’ll be providing free calls to Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Afghanistan to help you get in touch with those you care about. 

Update, 24 October, 2023: We have been closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East and Afghanistan and know how important staying connected with loved ones is right now. We have made the decision to extend free calls to until 11:59pm AEDT on 21 November 2023.

Update, 21 November, 2023: We have been watching the heartbreaking situation in the Middle East, and know that continued connection with family, friends and loved ones is what’s critical for many of our customers right now. To help support you, we’re extending free calls to Israel and the Palestinian territories to 21 January 2024.

Update, 21 November, 2023: At the time this offer was published, we also offered free calls to Afghanistan following a series of devastating earthquakes. As the region moves into recovery phase, we won’t be further extending free calls to Afghanistan. 

Update, 19 January, 2024: We know how important it is for many of our customers in Australia to continue to stay connected with this region right now. To help support you, we're again extending this offer of free calls to Israel and the Palestinian Territories until 31 March 2024.

Update, 26 March, 2024: We know staying as connected as possible with friends and loved ones in these regions remains critical. That's why we're extending free calls to Israel and the Palestinian territories until 30 June 2024.

This applies for both pre-paid and post-paid mobiles as well as home phones and will be free until 30 June 2024.

Update, 4 July, 2024: As the situation in the Middle East continues, we know how important it remains to connect with friends, family and loved ones in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. We want to help you reach them without worrying about your phone bill, and will be extending this offer for free calls until 11:59pm AEST on 30 September 2024.

Update, 26 September, 2024: As the situation in the Middle East continues, we know how important it remains to connect with friends, family and loved ones in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. We want to help you reach them without worrying about your phone bill, and will be extending this offer for free calls until 11:59pm AEST on 31 January 2025.

Update, 28 January, 2025: Just an update to let you know that we will be extending this offer for free calls until 11:59pm AEST on 31 March 2025.

Please remember: due to the unfolding situation in the Middle East and Afghanistan, infrastructure damage may prevent some calls from getting through.

How to call Israel and the Palestinian territories from Australia

To make calls from Australia to Israel and the Palestinian territories, you’ll need to use the correct country code and follow the dialling procedure. Israel and the Palestinian territories’ dialling code is ‘+970’.

To make a call to Israel and the Palestinian territories from a fixed line phone:

  • First dial ‘0011’;
  • Then enter the country code for Israel and the Palestinian territories, which is ‘972’;
  • Finally, dial the local number. Remember to include all the digits, including any leading zeroes.

To make a call to Israel and the Palestinian territories from a mobile phone:

  • Enter the country code for Afghanistan on your keypad, which is ‘+972’. You can get a ‘+’ symbol on your keypad by holding down the ‘0’ button;
  • Dial the local number. And again, remember to include all the digits, including any leading zeroes.

  • Customers on Telstra Pre-Paid need to have an active recharge on their account within its expiry period. 
  • Depending on your account, some people may not see the free calls logged in their call records. 
  • Free calls are from Australia only, and don’t include calls while roaming overseas. 
  • Covers Consumer and Small Business services (includes Belong, JB Hi-Fi Mobile and Boost).  

By Brad Whitcomb

Group Executive, Telstra Consumer

Brad Whitcomb joined Telstra in January 2023, bringing extensive Australian and global experience across the telecommunications and technology sectors. As Telstra’s Group Executive, Consumer, Brad leads the team responsible for creating and delivering the best experiences possible for consumers and small business customers.

Across his career Brad has held a number of leadership positions spanning strategy, product development, marketing, sales, customer experience, and business transformation. Immediately before Telstra, he was at nbn™ Australia for eight years, in various leadership positions including Chief Customer Officer. His prior experience also includes two stints at Vodafone as Australian Chief Strategy and Business Transformation Officer and 11 years at Vodafone in both the US and Japan, spearheading corporate development projects and large transactions. Originally from the USA, Brad holds an MBA from Saint Mary’s College of California and a Bachelor of Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.