US travelers describe chaotic scenes inside Israel's 'completely mobbed' Ben Gurion airport amid war with Gaza

• Over 40 airlines have canceled flights in and out of Israel amid the ongoing war.
• At least 900 people have died in Israel following surprise attacks by Hamas militants.

Travelers at Israel's Ben Gurion airport attempting to get home amid escalating violence are facing a chaotic atmosphere with extensive delays, long lines, and canceled flights, several travelers told Insider.

On Saturday, as communities across Israel celebrated the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, Hamas militants broke through Israel's security fences on the Gaza border and launched coordinated surprise attacks that left at least 900 people dead and wounded thousands more. Hundreds of civilians and military personnel were also taken captive.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally declared war against Hamas, launching a counterattack during which at least 687 Palestinians have been killed and 3,800 more have been injured, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

The ongoing war has thrown Israel's travel industry into chaos

More than 40 airlines have canceled flights to and from the country.

"People are just scared and trying to get out," Lia Hershkovitz, who flew out of Ben Gurion airport on Sunday, told Insider.

Muki Portnoy, her husband, and three children were supposed to fly home to New Jersey on a United flight that was canceled. Their travel agent booked them another flight on Monday to Madrid via the Spanish carrier Iberia. On the shuttle ride to the airport after dropping off their rental car, Portnoy got a notification that their flight had been canceled, she said.

"When we arrived, the airport was just completely mobbed. Lines were out the door, almost," she said.

Portnoy and her husband looked for alternative flights. She said they were repeatedly waved away by airport workers, and that Israel's El Al airline wasn't letting anyone stand in line at the ticket counter unless they already had a reservation. (Insider has contacted the airline for comment.) She said their travel agent waitlisted their party of five on 40 different El Al flights, but none of them had available seats.

She described the scene as "hundreds and hundreds of frustrated people. People crying. Lots and lots and lots of families just sitting on the floor, waiting around. Lots of long lines everywhere. People confused, not really sure where to go and what to do."

Portnoy's husband returned to the airport the following day, waiting in line for five hours until he secured tickets for a flight on Wednesday.

It took Hannah Zucherman three tries to book a flight out of Israel in her efforts to get home to San Francisco. She said the airline of the second flight she booked, on Turkish Airlines, didn't even notify her that it had been canceled. Instead, she says she found out by looking it up on Ben Gurion's website. Insider has contacted Turkish Airlines for comment.

When she did successfully buy a ticket and make it through security, she found the waiting areas eerily silent.

"Inside the terminal it was very quiet and folks were clearly on edge," Zucherman said. "Normally, there are kids running around and lots of noise. This time it was much more subdued."

Israelis trying to return home are also facing challenges

Jerusalem resident Daniel Rosehill's El Al flight from Barcelona to Israel on Monday was delayed for a few hours, but he eventually made it to Israel.

"The cabin crew made a sort of somber announcement about these being difficult times and El Al being committed to bringing Israelis home," he told Insider.

Rosehill said the arrivals terminal was "noticeably more quiet than usual, but otherwise business as normal." When he stepped off the plane, he noted signs indicating the nearest shelter from incoming rocket fire.

The Israel Airports Authority has not responded to Insider's request for comment.