Dr. Al discusses trip to Israel

KAUKAUNA - A frequent FOX 11 contributor, home now, was in Gaza during the recent airstrikes. Our medical expert Dr. Alan Cherkasky returned from a trip to Israel on Sunday.  He rode out several airstrikes in a bomb shelter right on the border of Israel and Gaza. Dr. Al sat down with FOX 11 to share his story Wednesday.

The video is grainy, but the sound is clear. In it, you can hear an air strike warning siren in Tel Aviv, 40 miles away from the Gaza Strip.

Dr. Cherkasky took the video with his cell phone he told FOX 11, "We were in our hotel and a missile came over from Gaza."

Dr. Alan Cherkasky said the Israeli defense shot that rocket down, but that airstrike was one of many he experienced on his trip.

"I wasn't afraid, but I was startled, like, 'Oh my god! This is the real deal,'" he said.

Cherkasky spent much of the trip visiting a family friend in southern Israel, about a mile from the border with Gaza. You can see Gaza Strip in the pictures he took. He says the bulk of Hamas' rockets were shot into that area.

"Can you imagine living in America, living in Green Bay and having people in De Pere shoot rockets at you?" asked Cherkasky.

During his trip Cherkasky went out with an Israeli security patrol. He saw a rocket in a field, saw damage to a local petting zoo in the same area as a kindergarten and he saw many empty farm fields.

"The farmers can't be out in their fields because of gunfire," explained Cherkasky.

Cherkasky told FOX 11 life along the border is not easy.

"They live under this constant threat: not knowing if a rocket's coming in, when it's coming, where it's coming. It really paralyzes the population," he said.

A lot of time is spent in bomb shelters, like the one Cherkasky slept in, but he says many people go on with life despite the fear.

Now that there is a ceasefire agreement, Cherkasky is skeptical Hamas will let it last, but he is praying for peace.

"I hope so. I hope so, because nobody, nobody wants war. Everybody wants to live peacefully," said Cherkasky.

One week ago, Cherkasky spoke with FOX 11 by telephone from Israel and had to leave in the middle of the conversation because of an airstrike.

• Story: Dr. Al caught in middle of airstrikes