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Georgia couple stranded in Israel amid conflict
Savannah residents Brian Schumann and his wife remain stranded in Israel as airlines cancel flights following intensified regional conflict and missile strikes.
A Georgia couple say they are stuck in Israel with no clear timeline for when they will be able to return home, as airlines cancel flights in and out of the region amid ongoing attacks.
Brian Shuman and his wife, Yael, spoke via Zoom about what they are experiencing while sheltering with family.
What they're saying:
"It kind of goes between calm boredom and nervousness with the alarm," Brian Shuman said.
The couple say they first encountered the escalating situation Saturday morning while staying at a bed and breakfast in northern Israel.
"We got alerts and heard some airplanes and didn’t know what to do," Shuman said.
He described the emergency alerts that sound on residents’ phones, warning of potential incoming threats.
"If they think it will be close to us, we’ll get a second alert — and that’s really prominent. That’s ‘take shelter immediately.’ You have two minutes to get to shelter. That’s when it starts getting more intense."
As missile activity increased, the couple decided to leave their lodging and head to a relative’s home.
"We got in the car and within about a half hour, we started seeing streaks of smoke across the sky and hearing booms," Shuman said.
At one point, they sought shelter under a bridge alongside other drivers.
"We pulled underneath a bridge. We saw a bunch of other people pulling under and getting out — like hurricane or tornado shelter," he said.
Yael Shuman said the trip was originally meant to reconnect with family and learn more about her heritage.
"My grandfather was raised here, so to see family we haven’t seen in 20 years and talk to people and see what Israeli life was really like — we got a little more than we expected from that," she said.
What's next:
The couple says they currently feel safe staying with relatives, but remain uncertain about how and when they will return to the Savannah area.
"They said perhaps the airport would open next week, perhaps U.S. carriers would come in shortly after that. We don’t know," Brian Shuman said. "We’ve been given options to take a bus to Egypt, but honestly, it feels safer here."
What you can do:
During a recent briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt discussed assistance available to Americans overseas amid the conflict. Additional information on resources for U.S. citizens abroad will be posted on step.state.gov, where you are being asked to register if you need assistance.
The Source: The details in the article come from an interview conducted by FOX 5’s Eric Perry, featuring firsthand accounts from Georgia residents Brian and Yael Shuman.