#CBS host with kids, ex-wife in Israel recounts ‘roller coaster weekend’

“CBS Mornings” co-host Tony Dokoupil opened up about his experience of having two children and ex-wife in Israel amid the country’s ongoing conflict with Palestinian militant group Hamas, telling viewers it was “a roller coaster weekend.”

“I have an 11-year-old and a 14-year-old who live in Israel, they live there with their mother — my ex-wife — they are safe, but just as a father I think people can understand if somebody — anybody — is firing rockets in the direction of your children without regard to whether they are struck or not, you’re going to feel a thing or two,” Dokoupil said Monday on “CBS Mornings.” “So it’s been a roller coaster weekend.”

Dokoupil said he has been “sad,” “angry and disgusted” to watch the situation unfold in Israel.

“We’re talking about the direct close range murder of more than 700 civilians in their cars, in their homes, at a festival, and then the kidnapping and then the hostage-taking and then the evidence of rape,” Dokoupil said. “And I think there’s enough moral clarify in the world to say that this is wrong, it’s terrorism and if it’s being done in your name, speak up.”

Pointing to Hamas’s history of violence, Dokoupil said there is “understandable fear” on behalf of the Israelis, specially with regards to the hostages.

Maintaining he approaches the topic “fairly” as a journalist, Dokoupil noted he is also a father, which cannot be separated from his job at times.

“I also just wanted to be clear with our viewers that I come to this fairly and as a journalist, but I’m also a father and you can’t separate those two at a certain point,” he said.

Fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas — which is recognized as a terroist organization by the U.S. government — raged on for the third day on Monday after Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel over the weekend.

Hamas forces last Saturday invaded multiple Israeli towns by land, sea and air as well as launching a barrage of rocket fire into Israel from Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly declared the country at war against Hamas and the country has since launched several retaliatory airstrikes into Gaza.

The death toll continued to rise Monday to a total of around 1,600 people killed from both sides, The Associated Press (AP) reported. About 900 people, including 73 soldiers, were killed in Israel, according to state media.

In Gaza, over 680 have been killed so far, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Hamas has claimed to have taken over 100 hostages in the conflict, including both Israeli soldiers and civilians. The militant group pledged to kill captured Israelis if attacks targeted Gaza civilians without warnings, The AP reported.