Hong Kong religious tour group safe in Israel
A pastor leading a tour group from Hong Kong to Israel said on Monday that its members are now trying to leave in batches, as the country's war with Palestinian militants rages on.  The group of 30 people had arrived in the country on Saturday when the Palestinian Islamist group, Hamas, launched an unprecedented attack. They were supposed to be on a week-long tour of the Holy Land.  Pastor Eden Fletcher from the Methodist International Church Hong Kong told RTHK that they have moved to the northern part of Israel.  "On arrival, our local guides strongly advised us to journey to the far north of the country for security and for safety, which we did. We've been around the Sea of Galilee area for the past two days. It's quiet here… the only sound of any war is overhead jets flying and... we were following two tanks to the north," he said.  Fletcher said the group had stayed together until Sunday as members started to return to Tel Aviv. He also said SAR officials have reached out to them.  "The Hong Kong authorities have been wonderfully supportive and taking a keen interest and giving lots of advice. The advice generally is to stay put and in safe and secure places with shelters, and that's what we have sought to do," he said. "We continue to monitor the situation, and the safety of our tour group is paramount to us, and we understand the worry and concern of families back at home. We continue to pray and do the best that we can under the constantly changing circumstances."