Anxious moments for North Texans waiting on word from loved ones in Israel and a Fort Worth couple that suddenly found themselves in a country at war. NBC 5’s Katy Blakey has more.
McKinney resident Silvio Mokotow, who grew up in Israel, is anxious for news on loved ones and answers every phone call.
Mokotow said he felt helpless watching the news.
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“Lost, frustrated, there’s nothing you can do,” said Mokotow.
Saturday brought heartache. Mokotow learned a dear friend was killed when Hamas militants attacked villages near Gaza.
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He now spends the day checking in on his brother and others living close to the fighting.
“It’s just waiting every day to see what’s going to happen. What’s going to be the news the next day, the next day, and the next day,” said Mokotow.
FORT WORTH TRAVELERS LAND IN TEL AVIV AS ATTACK UNFOLDS
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Fort Worth residents Linda Allen and Ron Sturgeon arrived on one of the last flights into Tel Aviv on Saturday for their first trip to Israel.
They were unaware they’d landed in a nation suddenly at war until they turned on their phones while deboarding the plane and received news alerts.
“That was our welcome to Israel,” said Sturgeon.
They spent two days in their hotel, moving with other guests to the stairwell when sirens blared overhead.
“It didn’t seem real to me. Everybody was chatting,” said Allen. “There was a person that said, ‘Everybody be quiet,’ and you could hear the missiles.”
Hotel employees discouraged them from leaving the hotel on Saturday, but the couple ventured out with a tour guide on Sunday.
“He took us around, but there was nothing to see,” said Sturgeon. “There was nothing on the streets. None of the stores were open, so the tour didn’t last very long.”
Realizing the situation was much likely going to get worse, the couple spent Sunday trying to book a flight out. When that failed, they decided to drive to the Jordan border on Monday.
They encountered a congested border checkpoint and other American tourists trying to leave.
Now away from the fighting, the couple is grateful for the compassion of Israelis who helped navigate their exit.
“The people in Israel were so kind to us. They are under siege themselves. They can’t leave like we can,” said Allen.
“Even as we tried to get out, they were so helpful to us."