JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville couple who were stranded in Israel as tensions escalated in the Middle East have finally made it back home after a long and unexpected journey.
Their trip to visit family quickly turned into a complicated effort to leave the region after the conflict disrupted flights and closed airspace.
Earlier this week, their son told Action News Jax his parents were stuck overseas as the situation unfolded. But late last night, they finally returned home to Jacksonville and are now sharing what it took to get back.
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For Fern Malowitz and her husband, the trip to Israel started as a simple visit with relatives.
“We went to see family. We have um, Nieces and nephews there,” Malowitz said.
But just days into their visit, the situation in the region changed dramatically.
“In February, we arrived on the 21st and then we’re scheduled to leave last Saturday and then the war broke out,” Malowitz said.
The sudden escalation meant canceled flights and closed airspace, leaving the Jacksonville couple scrambling to find another route home.
“Airspace was still closed. So we had to find another way of getting back through Egypt,” Malowitz said.
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During the uncertainty, Malowitz said there were moments when they had to take shelter as warnings sounded.
“So people went to the bomb shelter and waited to see until the all clear sounded,” she said.
The couple also had to change where they were staying during the trip.
“We weren’t sure what was going on. So we, we, at that point, weren’t staying with our family. We were staying in a nearby hotel. We didn’t get to see them very much,” Malowitz said.
They were in Tel Aviv, Israel, but with the airspace closed, they had to drive about six hours to the Egyptian border so they could catch a flight out to Rome. They spent the night there before continuing their trip back to the United States.
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Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department says it is working around the clock to help Americans in similar situations leave the region.
“We are continuing to work 24/7 in this interagency task force to help Americans in those countries to leave should they desire to do so,” said Tommy Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the State Department.
Malowitz said despite the unexpected detours and uncertainty, she is thankful they were able to return to Jacksonville safely.
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