'We know it's not the end yet': Calgarians stuck in Israel amid war as airlines cancel flights

Some Calgarians who are in Israel have been left with few options to leave the country as airlines around the world cancel flights to and from Tel Aviv due to the Israel-Gaza war.

David Wallach, his wife, their daughter and her boyfriend arrived in Tel Aviv from Calgary on Thursday to visit relatives. Now, they find themselves in the middle of an escalating conflict between the Israeli government and Hamas, which has been declared a terrorist group by Canada and many other western nations.

"Saturday morning, we woke up to sirens and explosions. We had no clue what was going on," he said.

Later that day, Wallach, who is an Israeli and Canadian citizen, and his wife were in a cab on the way to their hotel when the sirens started and they had to take shelter.

"We ran to the nearest building, which was a restaurant that was closed, so we kind of took shelter on the patio," Wallach said.

They were OK but he says a rocket fell two blocks from their hotel, destroying two buildings and injuring four people.

He and his family decided to go to a small town north of Tel Aviv for safety.

They are scheduled to stay until Oct. 20 but are now hoping to leave as soon as possible.

"We know it's not the end yet," he said.

"This is my fifth or sixth time being in a war in Israel and it's nothing that you can get used to."

Another Calgarian, Yuri Isakovich, and his 77-year-old father Boris are in Eilat as they wait for a flight out.

No easy feat as Air Canada has joined other airlines and temporarily cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv, ending the only direct commercial air links between Israel and Canada.

"I'm concerned for my dad. I want to make sure that we are in a safe environment," Isakovich said.

According to Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, more than 2,500 Canadians are registered with the embassy in Israel, including 500 in Gaza and the West Bank.

Isakovich has registered but says he's been given little guidance.

"We haven't been told very much at all … Being in a country where you don't speak the language, it becomes a very scary and uneasy feeling," he said.

Late Tuesday afternoon, Joly posted on X, saying the government plans to use aircraft from the Canadian Armed Forces to get Canadians out of Tel Aviv in the coming days.

The flights will be available to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, along with their spouses and children.

Joly says the government is also working on options for people who cannot reach the airport in Tel Aviv.

Global Affairs Canada is urging Canadians to avoid all non-essential travel to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.

Onanta Forbes, a travel agent at Travel Time Inc., echoes that call.

"If you're going within the next month, I would say definitely reconsider or talk to your travel provider or who you're going to visit to see their situation as well because that might affect your travel," she said.

"We don't know how long the situation is going to last. It's very fluid at this time, so it's good to keep on top of it so you can make informed decisions."

In the meantime, Wallach and his family are helping how they can, gathering food, hygiene products and bedding for families forced to flee and for soldiers fighting in the south.

"Life must go on and we have to win this war and we have to move forward," he said.