The war rages on between Israel and Hamas.
Now, some Americans find themselves stuck in a war zone. Among them is the Adkins family, who tell ABC15 “terrifying” doesn't even begin to describe the moments the Adkins family has lived through. The reality is, they now find themselves at the mercy of war."
"The situation is pretty serious," said Pastor Kane Adkins.
Pastor Adkins and his family are stuck in Israel, as W.S. carriers have grounded all flights amid the war.
"We're currently in Tel Aviv. We transferred from Jerusalem. We left on Shemini Atzeret. That's the high holy day of the feast of Tabernacles," he added.
That was the same day Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, started the attacks in Israel.
"Obviously when you start hearing the air sirens going off and you start hearing the explosions that aren't far from you, that's scary," said Adkins.
Adding, they could also hear what sounded like bombs going off not far from their hotel."The building has been shaking from the explosions," he told ABC15.
Though, that’s not all. "The women and children that were being dragged out of cars. People being shot on the highways…it's been pretty ugly," said Adkins.
Israel is now pounding Gaza, an area that's been the epicenter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Deadly airstrikes have displaced more than 100,000 people, sending waves of injured Palestinians to overwhelmed hospitals.
"The refugees are starting to come in from Gaza now. Many of them are flooding the hotel rooms," Adkins told ABC15.
Hundreds have died on both sides and the death toll continues to climb, with a number of Americans lost in the bloodshed.
"The bottom line is it's not safe,” he said.
The Adkins family has started an online fundraiser to help pay for flights back, as they have three little ones waiting on their return home to Mesa.
"As they say in Israel, God's people live, and he's going to take care of his own. We'll make it through this," Adkins told ABC15.
