WATCH VIDEO: I’m near the Gaza border and just experienced a terrifying Hamas rocket attack first hand

SDEROT, ISRAEL — It’s impossible to explain just how terrifying it is to be under live Hamas rocket fire.

And to pray as you run to a bomb shelter, trusting that the God of Israel — and the Iron Dome system — will save your life.

After all, when you’re in Sderot, an Israeli town located right on the Gaza border, you only have 15 seconds — if that — to get to that bomb shelter when the Red Alert sirens go off.

It’s hard enough to watch it all play out on television.

But I’ve just experienced it first hand.

It’s not my first time under rocket fire.

I’ve been in the south during rocket wars in past to deliver humanitarian relief with The Joshua Fund.

This was something altogether different.

My friend, Danny Danon — a Knesset Member and former Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations — invited me to join him today with a small delegation of foreign ambassadors to visit Israeli communities devastated by the savagery of Hamas terrorist attacks.

He wanted us to see blood-soaked homes where Hamas slaughtered innocent.

To see bombed-out and fire-ravaged homes destroyed by Hamas rockets.

To meet Israeli heroes who saved lives here.

BREAKING NEWS: A rocket attack right now over us here in Sderot, an Israeli town right in the Gaza border, as the deputy mayor and Amb. @dannydanon were briefing foreign ambassadors and reporters. Watch whole terrifying video and pray. @all_israel_news pic.twitter.com/dA648WCl0V

— Joel C. Rosenberg (@JoelCRosenberg) October 15, 2023

Danon also wanted us to see just how Israeli soldiers and civilians are working 24/7 to protect our nation from the worst terrorist attacks in Israel’s 75 year modern history.

But we got far more than we bargained for.

Around 11:30am local time, Danon and Sderot Deputy Mayor Elad Kalimi were giving us a briefing on how Hamas attacked the city’s police station on Saturday, October 7th, murdering dozens of Israeli police and civilians.

Danon had just introduced Kalimi while we were standing in the middle of the street when suddenly a salvo of rockets were fired from Gaza at Sderot.

This immediately triggered the Red Alert warning sirens, forcing us to run to the nearest bomb shelter.

It was only a few dozen yards away but I don’t think my heart has ever beaten so fast.

Just then, one of the ambassadors stumbled and fell to the ground while everyone else while piling into the shelter.

My cameraman and I were right behind her.

We immediately hoisted the woman to her feet — using the shoulder harness of her bullet proof vest — and rushed her inside.

But even as we were doing so, massive explosions were booming overhead.

We turned to our left and saw the Iron Dome system blowing up the rockets that we’re headed for us and literally saving our lives.

The sound rattles your entire body.

So does the realization of how close death is in this town.

And the deeper awareness of the terror that all Israelis in the south have experienced as Hamas has fired more than 6,000 rockets at us.

When the red alert was finished and we were safely inside the shelter, I spoke with South Sudan Ambassador Wol Mayar Ariec to get his reaction to what we had just experienced.

Mayar noted that his own country has a long history of civil war, bloodshed and strife.

Mayar told me that having lived and served his country in Israel for 5 years, “we understand what it means” to face terror.

“The people of South Sudan, we’ve been at war many times,” Mayar continued, “but we’ve resolved: ‘No' to war and ‘yes’ for peace, because war is destruction and peace is healing.”

Ambassador Mayar blasted Hamas for targeting civilians.

“The targeting of the civilian population, that is unacceptable.”

“Our president is on record saying that we stand with the people of Israel in bad times and good times,” Mayar told me.

“We pass our heartfelt condolences to the victims of these horrific attacks.”

The delegation led by MK Danny Danon includes Albanian ambassador Meri Kumbe, Kosovo Charge d'Affairs Ines Demiri, Czech Republic ambassador Veronika Smigolova, Czech Republic Deputy Head of Mission Cyril Bumbálek, and South Sudan ambassador Wol Mayar Ariec.