Left to right: Leeroy Wate, Diotee Deromae, Christina Eddie, Janice Kotu and Barnabas Firivave. Photo: Solomon Islands Government
A group of five students from the Solomon Islands is stranded in southern Israel, with no indication of when they will be able to return home.
One of the students, Leeroy Enoch Wate, says he is safe but wants to go home amid ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran.
Wate told Pacific Waves the group has been waiting to hear when they will be able to get on an evacuation flight, as news broke of an Iran-Israel ceasefire.
The 28-year-old from Malaita province told Pacific Waves that he has spoken with the Solomon Islands Embassy, but is still waiting for flights out.
"The [Solomon Islands Embassy] is going to arrange some flights. But they did not confirm the date," Wate said.
Christina Eddie, 23, said they were supposed to fly out on 17 June, but more than a week later. they have heard nothing.
"We just wait and pray for the positive feedback from our school director for our flight to be returned home."
'Still bombing'
The students are in southern Israel, in an area that has not been hit so far, Wate explained.
"We did not hear sirens and stuff like that. Some of us even go to the farm, like it is normal."
Though there are pockets of "normal", Wate said the situation is far from normal to him.
"For us Islanders, it is our first time experiencing this. You can hear, from a distance, explosions and bombs. In Israel, they have the thing like intercept so it is kind of scary," Wate said.
"Usually, if we hear sirens, we usually run to the bomb shelter, like, 10 minutes before the bomb hits."
Janice Gasehara Kotu recalled a night when the sirens went off late, and everyone had to run to the center.
"It has disrupted work, school and everyday routines for the people here in the community."
Eddie said that she witnessed a missile be intercepted in front of their area.
"Seeing this thing is so scary, and hearing the sirens, how they cried, seeing people just run to the bomb shelter, that's the scariest moment I have ever seen."
Israeli air defence systems are activated to intercept Iranian missiles over the Israeli city of Tel Aviv. Photo: AFP / Menahem Kahana
But with Arava outside of Iran's targeted range, there is a nervous kind of quiet that persists, Eddie said.
"We have to stay alert all the time, always listening out for sirens, so things that felt normal before feel so scary."
"We have never been in this kind of world...it is so hard for me to cope in this kind of situation."
"I just want to go home."
No word from officials
The Solomon Islands students have now completed their 10 months agriculture course and want to go home.
They have contacted their families to tell them they are safe and secure, Wate said.
"All I need right now is I need to go home because this thing is getting worse, like they still bombing, especially the north and the central Israel, but for us in southeast, it is safe, but for me, it is not that safe."
"I really need to go home all of us, the five of us, because from the Solomons, we have only five students, and right now, as we're speaking the Fijians and the Samoans, they are leaving today (Tuesday evening NZT).
"That's why I am like, oh my god, I am going to miss you guys. I need to go home also."
His message to worried family back home in the Pacific: just pray.
"Pray for us and remember us in the press. It is not that safe here, it is scary, and it is, I do not know how to describe, but yeah, the mission is, I want them to know that I am safe, but remember us in prayers," Wate said.
While Eddie waits and prays for the go ahead to go home, she wants her family to know that she is okay.
"Everyone here is like family, working together, and checking in on us."
"The food is good," she added.
Kotu said that, despite everything, she felt grateful to be in a community where she felt supported and loved.
"This experience has shown me how strong people can be."
RNZ Pacific understands the Arava International Centre for Agriculture Training is trying to secure flights for the students out of Israel and the Solomon Islands Government is also assisting.
The Samoan High Commission has been approached for comment.
