Colorado Teens Caught In Middle Of Israeli Violence
DENVER (CBS4)- The itinerary of some Colorado teens on a trip to Israel is being changed after violence erupted between Israel's military and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
Israel's military said it struck another 200 Hamas targets on Wednesday as militants fired back with dozens of rockets on their own. Some of the rockets reached the northern part of Israel.
A group of teenagers from Colorado are in the middle of the tension. They're in Israel as part of a study tour and have had to retreat to Haifa for safety concerns.
They've moved to get out of range of rocket and missile fire.
Air raid sirens sounded throughout Israel as the 71 students from the Colorado Agency for Jewish Education changed their plans.
Isabel Morris, the daughter of prominent concert promoter Chuck Morris, is among those on the trip.
"The kids have been moved twice now to go north where they are out of the range of rockets," said Chuck Morris.
The rockets have been going in two directions from Gaza into Israel and from Israel pounding the Palestinian Hamas-controlled territory of Gaza.
The Colorado group has been touring Israel for about a month. Their plans called for them to go to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem but now they've been moved north near the border of Lebanon.
Tour Director Josh Samet said they're taking every precaution for safety.
"We're really at the safest spot in Israel right now because everything is happening from Gaza but we're obviously, like I said, everything we take is precaution," said Samet.
The teens have been in contact with their families.
"The people have had the kids call every day, emails, I had an email at 4 a.m. I had my kid call me at six this morning," said Morris.
The teens are getting an up close and personal lesson of currents events as they're happening in the Middle East.
