To all you pilgrims, welcome home as your safe return is a testament of our almighty God.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka stated this when he welcomed back the 198 Fijians who were in Jerusalem when war broke out between Israel and Hamas on the Gaza border have safely returned home.
They were accorded a traditional welcome at the Nadi International Airport this morning.
Rabuka says today we welcome you back from your pilgrimage to the holy land as this is indeed a morning of miracles and blessings on our land.
He says we also remember the arrival of the missionaries in Lakeba on this day, 12th October, 1835.
The pilgrims arrived on Fiji Airways flight 2394, which landed at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv, on Tuesday night with a mission to bring Fijians home.
Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration Pio Tikoduadua says the audacious commitment of Fiji Airways, especially the valiant crew members who chose to fly into a nation at war, cannot be overstated.
He has also confirmed that the flight also brought back international travellers, including 13 Australians, 16 New Zealanders, 8 Samoans, 2 Canadians, 2 Filipinos and 2 Americans.
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