A man who lives in Montgomery County, Maryland, has several close family members who live in Israel, and one of them had to hide during the attacks Sunday morning.
Hamas militants stormed into Israel, slaying hundreds of residents in homes and streets near the Gaza border and bringing gun battles to Israeli towns.
One of those places was the southern town of Ofakim, where the Montgomery County man’s 47-year-old brother lives.
“With a security camera around the house, he saw in the camera what was going on outside,” explained the man, who did not want to be identified by name.
The man said his brother’s security footage captured “guys with motorcycles and pickup trucks with guns.”
He had to hide in a safe room in his house for 30 hours with his wife and four children until police and the Israeli army restored order in the town, the man said. At that point, he was able to leave the area safely.
“Honestly, I feel really bad about everything,” the man said. “I can’t think about anything else.”
Originally from Israel, he said he has lived in Montgomery County for the last 15 years, but his mother, father and five siblings still live in Israel.
“We have a big family,” the man said. “It’s very tough.”
Another Montgomery County resident affected by the war is Rena Atias, who is now stranded in Israel with her husband.
They arrived in Israel on Sept. 27 for a vacation, and they originally planned to fly back to their home in Rockville, Maryland, on Oct. 17.
However, they are now trying to leave as early as possible.
“There’s no way for us to get a ticket at the moment,” Atias said. “We tried getting to our travel agent, but there is no answer.”
Atias said ever since the attacks, her “heart is racing most of the time.”
“It’s just very nerve-wracking,” Atias said.
Atias and her husband are in Or Akiva, which is in northern Israel.
“Thank God we’re safe,” she said. “But any minute, you never know when an alarm is going to go off or where the rockets are going to go.”
Atias said she will continue trying to leave early, but in the meantime, “We’re just doing everything we can to stay safe,” she said. “That’s our priority.”
