A Fort Worth attorney made it out of Israel shortly before Hamas attacked but his daughter, son-in-law, and three grandchildren stayed behind and had to make a daring escape.
Marvin Blum was visiting with his family, celebrating a Jewish holiday and had a great visit, he said, unaware of the impending attack.
His 10-year-old granddaughter was awakened by air raid sirens.
"(My granddaughter) ran into my daughter's room and said they're having a bomb drill," Blum said. "And my daughter said, 'they don't do bomb drills in Israel.'"
The family ran into a bomb shelter at their hotel and when they thought it was safe raced to the airport to get a flight home.
Many flights were canceled because of incoming rocket fire.
The pilot darkened the plane and took off.
They were safe and finally made it home to New York.
Back in Fort Worth, Blum said he and his wife were relieved.
"Oh my God, you can only imagine the mixture of emotions," Blum said. "On the one hand it was grand relief she was safe ... On the other hand the trauma of the entire experience was very heavy on us."
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