South Florida residents returning from Israel horrified by what they saw
MIAMI - South Florida residents and others returning from Israel say they are horrified and haunted by what they saw.
CBS News Miami's Peter D'Oench spoke with passengers at Miami International Airport returning from Tel Aviv. Authorities say more than 700 people have been killed in Israel and an unknown number of Israelis have been taken hostage.
Lilian Weinstein was with a group of people from Boca Raton.
She said, "You will never know how terrifying all of this is. Children crying and all of this going on and why. We are sitting there amid all of this and you hear the bombs going off and it is the scariest thing."
Marla Birman of Boca Raton said, "The rockets are going off and everything is happening."
Perry Birman said, "It was frightening and very nervewracking and people got hurt badly and God bless their souls. All I can is that there must be the full wrath against terrorists."
David Abramovici of Hollywood said "We were terrified. We have to bring back the hostages." His wife Adva said, "It was frightening with all the bombs going off."
Hadar Hagag said, "There were attacks everywhere. They were killing women and children."
Some were angry.
Eyal Anavim said, "Killing innocent children like this, this is a war crime."
Shlomi Lugassy tried to unite people in song at the airport.
"Israel is going to be forever," he said. "It is the best country in the world. I lost friends who got kidnapped."
Dr. Mordechai Salfer, a clinical psychologist, was also on the flight and said "Imagine going to the Aventura Mall and people coming up to you and saying I am going to trick or treat you and take you hostage. Taking women and children hostage is a war crime."
As people arrived in the morning, another flight with EL AL left in the early afternoon.
Airport spokesman Greg Chin said EL AL is the only airline at the Miami airport with direct flights to Tel Aviv.
If you are going to Israel with another airline, you should check your status.
American Airlines has canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv through Friday. And there are disruptions with United and Delta.
