URBANDALE, Iowa — UPDATE: As of 9:45 a.m. Thursday, all 18 Iowans stuck in Tel Aviv have made it safely out of Israel.
“Several of us still have to arrange flights from Europe to home, but we are out of the dangerous war zone," Pastor Glenn Goodwin told Local 5. "We appreciate all the prayers that we’re offered for our safety."
Gov. Kim Reynolds, Rep. Zach Nunn and Iowa Rep. Eddie Andrews told Local 5 they had a decommissioned military plane on standby ready to take the group home, but the Iowans were finally able to get on a commercial flight.
Original story:
More than a dozen Iowans are awaiting flights home amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Head Pastor Glenn Goodwin and other members of Gospel Assembly Church in Urbandale prepared to leave for Israel last Wednesday, with plans to partake in a Christian Holy Land tour.
“I routinely take tour groups to Israel, Holy Land tours, Bible-based tours," Goodwin told Local 5. "This is probably my 12th or 13th time being in Israel."
Now, nearly one week since their arrival, the group has been unsuccessful in getting on a flight out of the country. On Tuesday morning, the group had flights booked out of Israel for later in the week, but their flights were canceled once again just hours later.
Local 5 spoke to Kate Goodwin, Glenn's daughter-in-law, who has been "worried sick" about the stranded group.
“At this point, there is no path available for them to get out of the country," Kate said. "And that's pretty terrifying,"
Kate and other family members are now begging local and national leaders to do something.
“They can't leave Tel Aviv. They looked to try and to drive over to Jordan, but it is not safe," she said. "If the government could pull some strings, get them onto one of those flights… if they could send in the military to get them out… we just need them to do something.”
The Goodwins aren’t the only ones keeping a close eye on the situation in Israel from Iowa.
"I'm getting information from Iowans who are there now, from former Iowans who are in Israel celebrating the holiday that they're okay," said Rabbi Yossi Jacobson with Lubavitch of Iowa, adding that Israel "did not call for this war."
Palestinian refugee and Middle East Peace Education Coalition member Mohamed Ali, who now lives in West Des Moines, also hopes for peace, but wants the Palestinian perspective to be recognized as well.
“If you go back to the roots of the problem, occupation, illegal settlement … nobody holds Israel responsible for their actions. And this has been going for 75 years," Ali said.
Ali believes it is now up to the U.S. to take action and work to be a part of the solution, to create peace in the Middle East.
"You have two sides: occupier and those living under occupation," he said. "We should take action here in the U.S. and stand for the freedom of everyone, not just Israel."