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News 12 Staff

IsraelAirport1016NJLE_2023-10-16-07-42-05

Well this morning, several Americans caught in the middle of the Israel Hamas war are now coming home. Yeah, three flights from Tel Aviv will be landing in Newark Airport today hundreds of people are now reunited with family members. Newall New Jersey's Jim Murdoch has been speaking with passengers joining us live now from the airport with their stories, Jim, they must be so relieved to be home. The expressions on their faces. You can tell a lot of them are still in shock, but they're also great to be surrounded by loved ones on safe American soil. So important. You know, we've been hearing about the atrocities committed by Hamas when they launched a terror attack against Israel for the better part of a week ago. Now we're hearing those stories from family members directly impacted first person accounts of what they witnessed and what they survived. Take a look at this video as some of the passengers were arriving here at Newark Liberty International Airport. So many people were uniting hugs, tears, relief and a sense of just wanting to be safe. So I heard from several people telling me they had cousins shot another account how the niece of a friend was shot eight times. She played dead, surrounded by murdered soldiers and civilians for five hours until the Israeli military rescued her. All of this happening inside what they thought was their safe room in their house. Those who did speak on camera wanted to tell us what they saw, what they heard, what they felt. Saturday morning, just sirens went off. Nobody knew what was happening. And then, you know, we heard the explosions of the iron dome which was a phenomenal piece of technology and saves thousands of lives. Um In fact, on the way to the airport, it went off and we got out of our cars and went to the nearest um but it didn't matter who you were with, everybody was just together as one and, and working through the situation as a as a family when you landed on American soil. What was that like, um, bittersweet um leaving people behind that, you know, if there are things that we could do to help, we would have stayed. But um we do more good here right now. Yeah. So the two flights, uh which came in at the five o'clock hour, they were scheduled flights from Tel Aviv through LL Airlines. Now, I am told from family members here that that third flight coming in at 11 30 this morning is an unscheduled flight. They're calling it a special flight, perhaps one of those chartered flights. The American government is trying to use to help get American citizens home from Israel. We'll have more coming up throughout the day. We're live at Newark Liberty, Jim Murdoch news 12 New Jersey.

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JimAirport8aNJLE_2023-10-16-08-09-25

Several Americans caught in the middle of the Israel Hamas war are back on us soil. They arrived on three different flights from Tel Aviv. Hundreds of people are now reunited with their families. News to New Jersey's Jim Murdoch has been speaking with passengers. He's joining us now from the airport with their stories, their heartbreaking stories, Jim even trying to get out of the airport hours ago at Tel Aviv was fraught with danger. You'll hear that in just a couple of minutes. So we've been telling you about the atrocities, the horror stories ever since Hamas launched its terror attack against Israel just over a week ago. Now we're hearing those first person accounts from family members from people who witnessed all the events taking place over in Israel. They're here at the airport this morning. Take a look at some of the video from when these two flights came in so far in the five o'clock hour, many people reuniting so many hugs, tears and relief and a sense of just wanting to be safe. I heard from several people telling me they had cousins shot another how the niece of a friend was shot. Eight times she played dead, surrounded by murdered soldiers and civilians for five hours until the Israel military rescued her. All of this happening inside what they thought was their safe room. Those who did speak with us on camera wanted to tell us what they saw, what they heard, what they felt. We got to the airport in Tel Aviv. As soon as we got into the airport, everybody started yelling in Hebrew to get down on the ground. We had to lay down on the ground. We heard the iron dome booms. Then they told us to leave our luggage and run to the safe room. But by the time we got to the safe room, they said, ok, it's all clear. So that was probably the scariest part that we had. And those two flights which came in in the five o'clock hour, they were regularly scheduled flights uh on ll according to passengers and family members, the third flight coming in will land at around 11 30 here at Newark Liberty International Airport. I am told that's a special unscheduled flight. Perhaps one of those chartered flights. The American government is to help get American Israeli citizens back home. And then a pilot stopped by and told uh fag Ryan that later tonight, a flight will be returning with Israeli Americans all the way from Athens. So a lot of movement continues here at the airport. We are at Newark Liberty International Airport, Jim Murdoch news 12 New Jersey.

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Several Americans caught in the middle of the Israel-Hamas war are returning home Monday.  

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