A group from a Baltimore County synagogue traveled to Israel hours before Iran airstrikes began. They remain stuck there amid ongoing tension between the countries. 

Nearly 50 people from Beth Tfiloh in Pikesville arrived just hours before the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv closed down due to "a special security situation" on Friday, June 13. 

Maryland rabbi in Israel during airstrikes

"You're asleep at 3 o'clock in the morning, and you get an alarm. Just make sure you're near a shelter. Sometimes you hear the booms going on kind of around you," said Rabbi Chai Posner of Beth Tfiloh. "But then, like you get the all clear and you go, you go out. You go back to bed, or you go back to what you were doing. And today, outside, right in the courtyard of the hotel where we're staying, right outside our door, there was a wedding going on just really just beautiful and singing and dancing, and we've been doing our best to keep our group active and having fun."

Tensions began to rise after Israel launched a wave of air strikes on Iran, targeting the country's military and nuclear infrastructure to try and rid it of weapons. 

Iran retaliated soon after, launching back-and-forth airstrikes that continued through the weekend. 

Officials confirmed Monday that 14 Israelis and 224 Iranians have died.

Rabbi Posner said while it's scary and nerve-wracking, it's a trip he's thankful to be on. 

"We could do a tour of Israel anytime, and we'll do it again another time. But this was an opportunity to be a part of something historic, amazing," Rabbi Posner said. "They took care of some evil, evil people with some dangerous weapons. Nothing else was going to make it happen." 

President Trump would not comment on what it would take for the US to get involved in the conflict, but says he's hoping for a deal.

However, he also said if any U.S. armed forces are hit by Iran, America will retaliate with "full strength and might."