Lee Marshall returns home after being stranded in Israel during airstrikes

Kids to Love Founder and CEO Lee Marshall is safely back home in Huntsville after a trip to Israel was unexpectedly cut short by escalating conflict in the region.

Lee had traveled to Israel with a group of more than 100 female leaders for a faith-based leadership experience. What began as a meaningful time of learning and connection quickly changed when tensions in the region intensified and air raid sirens began sounding.

“We get there and then war breaks out,” Lee said in a recent interview with WHNT News 19. “That definitely wasn’t on our itinerary.”

During the trip, the group had to move in and out of bomb shelters as warning systems sounded. Lee said hearing the alerts and knowing missiles were being intercepted nearby created a tense and uncertain atmosphere.

“As a veteran journalist, I’ve covered war for many years,” she said. “But to be there firsthand, to get the bomb warning systems that continued to go off was very alarming.”

Read more from Huntsville station WAFF

Leaving the country proved challenging as flights were disrupted and travel plans changed rapidly. Eventually, Lee and others were able to leave Israel by bus, traveling into Egypt before catching flights through Europe and New York on the way back to the United States. The journey home took more than 24 hours.

Now back in Huntsville, Lee says she’s incredibly grateful for the prayers and support from friends and the North Alabama community during the ordeal.

Despite the frightening circumstances, she says the experience reinforced how meaningful it is to return home safely.