American Basketball Player Dusty Hannahs Details Evacuating Israel Amid Hamas Attack: 'Just Got Out in Time'

The former NBA player admitted he tried not to tell his parents "too much" as he and his teammates escaped missile attacks in Israel

An American basketball player and his teammates in the Israeli Premier League were forced to evacuate their homes after the deadly Hamas attacks broke out in Israel.

Ironi Ness Ziona player Dusty Hannahs detailed the harrowing 72 hours during an interview on SiriusXM's The Starting Lineup on Tuesday, telling the show's hosts that he woke up on Saturday morning to the chaos. "I woke up at six in the morning and I just heard sirens," Hannahs, 30, told the morning show.

Hannahs, who previously played for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies and G League's Santa Cruz Warriors, said he immediately took cover in the bomb shelter on his floor when missiles began hitting the city. "It’s pretty insane. You can feel the impact of the shaking in the sky, especially when it gets low," he said. The athlete added his "room was shaking" and the motion lasted all day.

The Arkansas native said he lives in Bat Yam, located approximately two hours away from the destruction on the Gaza Strip.

Related: Detroit Lions Linebacker Alex Anzalone Says His Parents Are Stuck in Israel Amid Deadly Conflict

The basketball team's general manager sent a text message instructing players to "pack a bag" and "be ready in an hour to leave for the airport" at around 5 p.m. on Saturday, said Hannahs, who is now safe with his teammates at a resort in Athens, Greece.

Hannahs said once he arrived at the airport on Saturday, he saw a news report that Bat Yam had been struck by a missile. "I'm reading it like, 'Wow I got out just in time,'" he recalled thinking moments before the airport broke out into further panic.

"As I look up, everyone in the airport is sprinting to a shelter. As an American, my first thought was there were gunmen, then I heard giant booms and they were shooting missiles at the airport while we were trying to get out," he said.

Hannahs and his teammates are now awaiting a decision from the league on how to proceed after the attack "caught everyone by surprise" on Saturday.

Amid the frightening 72-hour evacuation, Hannahs said his parents were "freaking out" and constantly reaching out for updates from their son, so much so that he admitted, "I was kind of trying not to tell them too much."

Hannahs described feeling "just helpless" as the attacks broke out in Israel, and said the "scariest part" of the weekend came for him after his airplane left the ground.

"Looking out those first 15 minutes before we’re getting off the border, hoping that missiles don’t start flying, was a new feeling," he said.

Related: Former Israeli Soccer Player Lior Asulin Killed During Hamas Attack

President Joe Biden is standing behind Israel after the surprise attack by Hamas militants killed over 200 Israelis, an action that prompted Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare on Saturday that the country is “at war.”

The President issued a statement on Saturday explaining his stance on the matter after recently speaking with Prime Minister Netanyahu “about the horrific and ongoing attacks in Israel.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“The United States unequivocally condemns this appalling assault against Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza, and I made clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu that we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the Government and people of Israel,” the president wrote.

Biden continued, “Terrorism is never justified. Israel has a right to defend itself and its people. The United States warns against any other party hostile to Israel seeking advantage in this situation. My Administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering.”

Israel and Palestine have been fighting for the right to claim Jerusalem as their capital for decades. Although Israel governs Jerusalem, Palestinians want control of East Jerusalem, which consists of the West Bank and Gaza, where several Palestinians now reside following their displacement as a result of 20th-century Arab-Israeli conflicts that began around the formation of Israel.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.