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It is a cry for help from Israel, which is shocked by violence. “We heard rocket attacks and sirens several times,” says Ivano Zannol (53) from Strengelbach AG. Zannol is the leader of a tour group of the Spanish-speaking mission of the canton of Aargau.
Zanol flew to Israel with his wife and 45 other women and men on October 4. You want to visit the Holy Land and have planned a tour to several holy places. The group, consisting of Swiss citizens as well as people from South America, Italy and Nigeria, lands in Tel Aviv. From there we go to Nazareth for a few days and then to Bethlehem.
Missile hits and escape
In Bethlehem, the traveling group is surprised by the outbreak of violence. Rocket hits are audible. “We had to quickly return to the hotel and were not allowed to leave it for a long time,” the tour guide told Blick.
Then the group suddenly has to leave, a day earlier than planned. Bethlehem is located in the Palestinian Autonomous Territory. “It was just too risky to stay in this area,” Zannol said. A suspicion that becomes reality. Just minutes after the group crossed the border into Israel, the army closed it. “Two minutes later and we were stuck in the West Bank.”
Stuck in Jerusalem
The group arrives at Hotel St. George in Jerusalem. “Everyone got here safely,” Zannol said. But the fear remains. “When the sirens sounded, all hotel guests fled in panic to the lobby,” Zannol describes the tense situation.
The group would like to leave the country. But that doesn’t seem possible at the moment. “We are stuck here and terrified,” says Zannol. The only Swiss flight home was fully booked within a very short time. “Our scheduled flight for Wednesday has now been canceled – we don’t know how long we will have to stay here.”
This annoys Zannol and the other group members. “Other countries such as Poland, Bulgaria, Mexico, Peru and Italy and many other countries have already organized or even carried out several evacuation flights.” The tour guide continues that they are in contact with the Swiss authorities and Swiss people. He hopes for a quick and unbureaucratic solution, just as other countries have done. “We fear that the situation could escalate further.”
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
