Shocking accounts from Greeks who returned to Greece from the Middle East and finally arrived at Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos”. “We heard sirens, planes, distant explosions” they report, describing in detail the moments when war “caught them” during their travels.
Some of them found themselves in the Middle East either for leisure, pilgrimage, or business reasons, but all highlighted the magnitude of turmoil prevailing in the region.
“We heard sirens, planes, distant explosions”: Shocking accounts from Greeks who returned from the Middle East
A Greek pilgrim who was in Israel last Thursday described how the tranquility of Old Jerusalem suddenly transformed into a war zone on Saturday. “We heard sirens, we heard planes, we heard some things passing over the city, we heard some distant explosions, mainly from Israeli fire hitting incoming projectiles” he reported characteristically.
He emphasized that mobile phone warnings, similar to Greece’s “112” system, were continuous, informing citizens when sirens would sound and what instructions to follow. Despite the tension, he noted that the Old City functioned as a peculiar shelter, while praising the work of the Greek consulate in Jerusalem and the embassy in Tel Aviv for their assistance. His return, however, was not easy, as the route to Egypt included countless military checkpoints that caused great hardship.
Airport disruption
Another Greek woman, returning from Singapore via Dubai, described the aviation chaos caused by the conflict. Her flight was cancelled, resulting in her arrival in Athens two days late via Istanbul. “There are people having great difficulty in Dubai. I know this from acquaintances who are there and struggling to leave”, she stated.
The woman did not fail to express her relief that she herself was not trapped at the Dubai transit station, something that would have made her repatriation even more difficult.
