Columbus missionary describes sheltering from missile attacks in Israel and evacuating overland to Egypt

Columbus resident recounts days under missile alerts during Israel trip

A Columbus, Georgia native who is currently based overseas for mission work described taking shelter during missile attacks while traveling in northern Israel, then leaving the country by road as regional hostilities escalated.

Haley Reed said she arrived in Israel as part of a small ministry group and had been in the country for nearly a week when the security situation changed abruptly. She said the group was in the Galilee area when missile launches became visible from their location and air-raid alerts began to arrive on mobile phones.

Seeking shelter amid warning systems and interceptions

Reed said the group repeatedly moved to a reinforced shelter area located within their hotel. She described a two-step warning process delivered via phone alerts: an earlier notification that a launch had occurred, followed by a short period to reach shelter if an incoming projectile was not intercepted by Israel’s air defense systems.

Reed said that from outside areas of the hotel, she could see missiles and intercept activity overhead. In messages to family in Columbus, she described the first night as frightening and uncertain.

“This is really scary… I love y’all and I’ll talk to you as soon as I can,” Reed wrote in a text message she later described.

Operational security and the route out

Reed said the group limited location-sharing on phones during travel as a basic security precaution. After several days largely confined to sheltering routines, she said the group left the Galilee area and drove out of Israel, continuing overland for roughly 19 hours to reach Egypt.

Reed said she departed from Cairo on March 4 and returned to Kenya, where she is currently based. She emphasized that their ability to leave depended on having an available route and functioning cross-border travel options at the time they moved.

Local impact of a distant conflict

The account highlights how rapidly changing conditions in the Middle East can affect travelers with ties to the Chattahoochee Valley, including faith-based groups visiting religious sites. Reed said the purpose of the trip was religious—prayer and ministry activities—rather than political engagement.

She also drew a contrast between travel risk and the experience of residents who cannot relocate when air-raid alerts become routine.

• Traveler: Short-term exposure to warnings, shelters and disrupted movement.
• Residents: Ongoing exposure to alerts, security constraints and uncertainty.

Reed said she had previously worked in places she considers high-risk, but described seeing incoming missiles firsthand as a distinct experience compared with other security concerns encountered abroad.