2023-10-09 23:53:43
Françoise and Christian Tribot, a French tourist couple, have been stuck in Jerusalem since Saturday due to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
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In an interview with TVA Nouvelles, they explained that they first stayed in Jordan, then headed to Jerusalem on Saturday. Their bus also had to take a detour, a sign that something was already wrong.
“I think we were the last bus to pass on Saturday evening,” mentions Christian Tribot
Worried about their ability to return to France, the couple was confirmed by their embassy that they would have a flight back to Paris on Wednesday evening.
“We still have some doubts, because as you saw today, the situation has seriously evolved,” says Mr. Tribot.
In the meantime, the feeling of insecurity is very present for the couple stuck in Jerusalem, which has become a ghost town.
“Today I left with a boy who showed me the way to find a pharmacy. We heard a siren and I said, “What are those sirens?” [Il m’a répondu]: “these are the rockets”. I said: “oh well, what do we do?” He said to me: “we don’t do anything, we continue”. And then a few seconds later, we heard explosions,” says Christian Tribot.
“The wallpaper is not serene. People are tense, whether on the Israeli side, there are a lot of armed forces in the streets. And the Palestinians are very tense too,” proclaims his wife Françoise.
In Jerusalem, the shops are closed. There are few people in the streets and the usual bustle has disappeared.
“We feel that we are really the last tourists,” says Françoise Tribot.
The tension is palpable, both on the Israeli and Palestinian sides, maintains the couple.
“There is an escalation in aggression and anger,” underlines Christian Tribot.
To see the full interview, watch the video above.
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