– Of course, it is not pleasant that they experience this and that it suddenly escalated greatly, says head of department Siv Anette Hoekstra at the school. On Saturday morning, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared war after the attacks. Pupils at the vocational school Menighetsbibelskolen associated with Filadelfia in Kristiansand, are in Jerusalem, and have sought refuge in a bomb shelter this morning. The students, who are all aged 20 to 22 from various places in Norway, have been with six other students and staff at the school on a two-week tour of Israel. – They are now being looked after by a Norwegian couple who live in Jerusalem, says department head Hoekstra. Relation to travel advice The vocational school now relates to the travel advice given by the Norwegian authorities and the Israeli authorities. – This means that the pupils stay at home and that they seek refuge in the bomb shelters when the air raid warning goes off. Hoekstra says that the students are safe now. – In a sense, we are not acutely afraid of something happening, but it is always a very frightening experience. More on their way home The other six students and a leader were scheduled to return home from Tel Aviv today, Saturday. – As far as I know, they have now arrived on the plane to Turkey, says Hoekstra. The five students who remain in Israel are scheduled to work as volunteers for another four weeks. – It is difficult to say how this will develop. If any of the students want to come home, we as a school will pay for it. Of course, we don’t want them to be in a place where they are not safe or have a hard time, says Hoekstra. On Saturday morning, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel. Foot soldiers have entered the country. They call this operation “al-Aqsa Flood”. Israel is now carrying out counterattacks. The Minister of Defense has declared that the country is in a state of war. Moved to Israel two weeks ago – considering return Norwegian Marius Wallentin Wigardt moved to the city of Netanya, north of Tel Aviv, two weeks ago with his wife and three children. He describes the situation as tense and unclear. – There is a ghostly atmosphere here. All the tourists who are usually out in the city have retired to the hotels and are awaiting the situation there. Basically, we are safe here. Our thoughts go out to those who live in the demanding areas around Gaza, says Wigardt. The family has been told to stay close to bomb shelters. Although the family feels that it is safe where they are, they do not completely relax. The Kristiansand family have lived in Israel for two weeks. Photo: PRIVATE He works for the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (IKAJ), which is a political-religious organisation. – We are sorting through our thoughts now and have considered the idea of moving back to Norway. At the same time, we have moved down here and have a desire to make a difference, he says in a video from Israel. Know someone who was shot and killed Norwegian Louise Kahn is among several Norwegians who are currently in Tel Aviv. She has also experienced the drama today. – We woke up approx. at six o’clock to bombs and sirens. There were a couple of hours of it in the morning, but it has been quiet in the area here for a few hours now, says Kahn. In the absence of a bomb shelter, she and the children hid behind the stairs when the alarm went off. Louise Kahn is worried after today’s events. Here with the children in the stairwell. Photo: PRIVAT On the other hand, she thinks mostly about what is happening in southern Israel. They have several friends there, and there are some they cannot get hold of. – I know that the mother of someone I went to class with has been shot and killed. It is a terrifying situation. Now she fears a full-blown war. – I can imagine a war now since there are so many killed. And there is a completely new “twist” if the Israelis have been kidnapped and are in Gaza. It’s chaos, says Kahn. Itinerant sailor priest, Leif Magne Helgesen, from the Sailor’s Church is located in the Old City of Jerusalem. The major confrontations have not yet come to that, he says. Seaman priest Leif Magne Helgesen is in the old city of Jerusalem. Photo: Private The situation in the old town is described as pending. – It does something for the local population, but also for the internationals who are visiting, says Helgesen. On Monday, he was scheduled to go to Tel Aviv. He will reconsider that plan.
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Bible school students from Southern Norway in Israel – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
