'Get me out': Royal Oak man shares ordeal of leaving Tel Aviv amid Hamas attack

FOX 2 (WJBK) - A Royal Oak man is happy to be back in Michigan after escaping Israel amid the war with Hamas.

John Lichtenberg eventually got a flight to Dubai out of Tel Aviv and is sharing his experience with FOX 2.

"It’s terrifying - at that point again, you get back to the hotel, you're scrambling, you try to find some way to get out," he said. "I was calling any airlines, saying 'You can take me anywhere, I don't care where you take me, get me out.'"

Lichtenberg was in Israel at the end of last week across from the British Embassy when the unanticipated aggression from Hamas unfolded.

"We got into this little hallway and again, people were sobbing," he said. "That's when I did the text to my family."

The situation is dire, no one could know if these moments might be their last.

"I feel kind of, not kind of - I feel extremely blessed that I was at least in Tel Aviv even though Hezbollah started shooting towards there as well," he said. "It was terrifying.

"The Friday night I got there, it was full of people, people everywhere. Young people, and families, went to a nice dinner on the beach. When I got there it was beautiful. And then the next day it was empty."

Lichtenberg was in Israel for a video shoot. It was his first time in the country.

Related:

• Palestinian civilians unfairly targeted amid Israel-Hamas war, metro Detroit Muslim leaders say
• Every Israeli family affected by Hamas assault, Midwest consul general says

The sirens sounded, and like the masses, Lichtenberg mulled whether maybe it was a mere drill or a mistake. It decidedly wasn’t.

"I started hearing booms," he said. "Which was basically missiles coming to Tel Aviv that the Iron Dome shot down. And a couple were really close."

John Lichtenberg