‘Relieved’ Irish pilgrims return home after being disrupted by Israel-Hamas war

An Irish journalist who was on a pilgrimage to Israel this week has landed back in Dublin after being flown out on an evacuation plane by the Royal Netherlands Air Force.

Michael Kelly, editor of Irish Catholic News, a newspaper based in Dublin, thanked the Royal Netherlands Air Force in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday night.

“Thanks to the Royal Netherlands Air Force for a seat on their evacuation flight out of Israel tonight. I have landed safe and sound in Eindhoven,” he said.

Kelly said he was “a tired but very happy and relieved pilgrim” after safely leaving Israel.

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Kelly and his group had been in Nazareth in northern Israel, having first travelled to Bethlehem and Jerusalem as part of their pilgrimage.

“The situation is the worst I’ve ever experienced it in coming here 20 years,” he told The Irish News earlier this week.

“Everyone here woke up with everything being fine, then within three hours they found themselves within a war zone. It’s obviously very concerning for everyone,” he added.

“I’m very much hoping for peace and that’s what our pilgrimage here will become about as well. It’s such an important and beautiful place. To see so much conflict and tension is very hard, so people from afar should be very careful about what they say,” he told The Irish News.

Earlier, part of their pilgrimage group had secured a flight home from Tel Aviv.

“Our wonderful group of Irish Holy Land pilgrims departed Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport a few minutes ago for a direct flight to Dublin,” Kelly posted on X the day before, adding: “Where they have gone, I hope to follow. God bless their journey”.

Journalist with the Irish Catholic News, Jason Osborne, posted: “God is good – an uneventful flight after an all too eventful trip.”