Local pilgrims staying safe in warring Middle East

A Tyrone man who led an Irish pilgrimage to Jerusalem last week has moved to reassure their family and friends of their safety, as violence and unrest in the region rages on.

Michael Kelly, an Omagh man, who also happens to be newspaper editor of The Irish Catholic, recently guided the group pilgrims to the Holy Land.

However, a few days after their plane touched down, the initial peace they arrived to turned to chaos, as a spate of Hamas-led attacks prompted the Israeli government to declare a state of war.

The intervening time has been defined by gunfire, air strikes, missile attacks, and hostage-taking.

Mr Kelly, who has been visiting Jerusalem for 20 years, claims he has never seen anything like this before, branding the mayhem “absolutely horrific”.

However, despite the unprecedented nature of what is being witnessed in the politically complex and religiously divided region, Mr Kelly told his followers on X (formerly known as Twitter) that he and his fellow pilgrims are safe.

“First and foremost I want to say that everybody is very, very safe,” he began, during a self-posted video report.

“If you are like me, then you will have been distressed by what is in the news about the incidents that have been happening here in the Holy Land.

“Today, I want to say that our pilgrims are are very safe… anybody at home who is worried about our pilgrims, please don’t be worried about them, we are safe and we are looking after everyone.”

He continued, “We are praying for peace here and we are devastated by the sad new.

“We are praying for peace in this land that God chose as his own land.”

At the time of writing, Mr Kelly and his friends were in Bethlehem, Palestine.

Again, updating his followers on X, Mr Kelly said, “I’m deliberately not amplifying the attention-seeking Irish politicians supporting these wicked attacks against Israelis claiming to be pro-Palestine – no-one I meet here supports this dreadful evil.”