URBANDALE, Iowa — The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has left a group of Iowans stuck in the country after they traveled there for a group tour last week.
Head Pastor Glenn Goodwin and other members of Gospel Assembly Church in Urbandale prepared to leave for Israel last Wednesday, with plans to partake in a Christian Holy Land tour.
“I routinely take tour groups to Israel, Holy Land tours, Bible-based tours," Goodwin told Local 5. "This is probably my 12th or 13th time being in Israel."
Now, just days after their arrival, the group is looking at any and all options to come home, as soon as possible. After part of the group arrived last week, they were woken up by the sound of warning alarms.
“About 6:30 in the morning, we heard air raid sirens. And people were scrambling to find fallout shelters or safe rooms," Goodwin said.
While 18 of them made it to the country, 11 others on another flight Saturday were forced to divert and return to the Ujnited States after the attacks began.
“After this battle started, and this war started on Sunday, the beach was deserted," Goodwin said, adding that the group is now sheltering in place in Tel Aviv.
Tel Aviv is just 39 miles away from Gaza, where Hamas launched the deadly surprise attack. Both the U.S. Embassy and the Israeli government are urging them to leave as soon as possible.
“We definitely hear the explosions," Goodwin said. "Still today, we can hear the explosions in the distance.”
Goodwin and his group have spent hours trying to find a flight out and return home, but with major U.S. airlines suspending flights to Israel, they’ve found themselves stuck for several more days.
For now, however, the group is safe.
"We're not afraid. There's people who've come up to us and ask us, Israelis, to be sure and tell the story, to tell them how bad this is," Goodwin added.
All 18 members in Israel are booked on a flight for Saturday that will bring them back to Iowa. Until then, the group will continue to shelter in place in Tel Aviv.
On Tuesday morning, the group told Local 5 everyone has airline tickets out of Israel. They will then have to find flights back to the U.S.