Phil and Bronwyn Barnes hope for a flight out of Israel

The couple were among 34 people, mostly from Newcastle, on a two-week pilgrimage in the Holy Land.

Four of the group had departed Israel, 23 were booked on flights to leave on Tuesday and seven others were due to fly out on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Daughter Salena Stonehouse arranged a Wizz Air flight for her parents, Phil and Bronwyn, to leave the country but it was cancelled on Monday and rescheduled twice on Tuesday.

The couple also have an Emirates flight booked to leave Israel for Dubai on Friday. It was part of their original return ticket.

"That's their plan at this stage. If the Dubai one doesn't go ahead, they're kind of stuffed," Mrs Stonehouse said.

Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv stated on its website that the airport "is working as planned including departures and landings".

However, many carriers have suspended or reduced flights after Israel declared war, following the invasion by Hamas militants.

The airport's online flight board showed some flights were departing and arriving, but many had been delayed or cancelled.

Mrs Stonehouse said her parents had extended their stay at their Tel Aviv hotel by a few days.

"They were given a decent rate," she said.

"Their advice is not to leave the hotel, but silly people apparently do."

They had planned to travel to Jordan by road for the last few days of their holiday, but the border was now closed.

While the travellers caught in Israel faced a traumatic experience, their families back home have also been stressed.

"I've tried not to focus too much on the news because you can't do anything about it. I've been trying to look at it through a practical lens and help with the flights," Mrs Stonehouse said.

She had sought help from the federal government about a possible charter flight for her parents.

"I don't expect much from them. It's not like I expect taxpayer dollars to bail out people, but my parents being stuck there is somewhat worrying."

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was "providing consular assistance" to the Newcastle tour group in Israel.

Mrs Stonehouse's parents had been keeping up to date with the news and "monitoring how close the rockets are".

Rocket attacks close to their hotel had eased and they hadn't faced so many dashes to the concrete bunker on the floor of their hotel.

"The less rockets there are, the more likely flights will get off the ground," she said.

Her parents had good fortune, in a way, on the day before the Hamas attack happened

"They were having lunch across the road from the police station that got taken over [by Hamas]," she said.

"I'm so grateful they weren't there that day. In a sense they're very lucky."