Grandfather told his only escape is to cross desert

A GRANDFATHER stranded in Jerusalem is considering a bus escape through the Negev Desert to flee Iranian missiles.

- By Joseph Hadden

James Eden, 72, from Newcastle, flew to Israel last Monday for a six-day Christian pilgrimage.

But he now finds himself trapped in a near-deserted city, with missiles flying overhead and outbound flights suspended.

It comes as the Foreign Office advised against all travel to Israel, saying the situation could “deteriorate further, quickly and without warning”.

James said: “They [the FCDO] rang me and said there wasn’t a lot they could do.