The Georgian Jews who expected the worst

There were emotional scenes at Ben Gurion airport on Tuesday night as 30 new immigrants arrived from Georgia along with 300 Israelis on special government flights.

Twenty of the olim were from Gori, the city north west of Tblisi battered by Russian missiles. The Jewish Agency had brought the community of some 200 people to the relative safety of Tblisi.

"On Friday our home was damaged by shrapnel," said 15-year-old Anari Basova, who fled with his aunt and cousin. "I have never been so scared in my life. We hid until the Jewish Agency sent a taxi for us the next day.

"We felt safer in Tblisi. The worst thing was that we saw on the television our home and it had been hit again even harder. We probably would have been killed had we stayed in Gori.

"Everybody knows people who have been killed there. When we left we took a small bag for the three of us and I have arrived with just the clothes I am wearing."

Mr Basova's parents remained in Georgia, hoping to salvage their home and business when the fighting stops.

Tamar Mosheshvili, 27, a business lecturer, said: "What is happening in Gori is unbelievable. The Russians are killing innocent civilians in cold blood with their bombs. The casualties are far higher than the international press is reporting. I haven't got a friend who did not have a family member killed. My best friend's husband was killed."

Ms Mosheshvili reached Israel with her mother Liana and brother David, while her father Arkady remained in Tblisi to look after the family home. Liana said: "On Saturday, we came out of hiding in our basement and put a few things in the car and drove to Tblisi. We felt very vulnerable and expected to be blown up any minute.

"Our main worry was that the airport would remain closed because the Russians were bombing it. It seemed like a miracle when we were put on a plane and we took off."

Ms Mosheshvili said she had not slept for three nights. "It sounds silly when so many people are dying but I'm really upset about my dog Jenny. There is nobody to look after her."