As of the last contact UW-Madison senior Tara McKinney had with her family, she was stranded in Bethlehem's Star Hotel, roughly 500 meters from Manger Square where Palestinian gunmen are currently surrounded by Israeli troops.
McKinney is part of a study abroad program in Brussels, Belgium, and was visiting Israel. Study abroad officials do not have information on her whereabouts according to Josh McPhail, McKinney's nephew and a UW-Madison senior.
\They don't have a clue,"" McPhail said.
He added that McKinney's mother is actively searching for her daughter.
""She called Sen. [Russ] Feingold [D-Wis.] and her other representatives and they went to work on [helping her out of Bethlehem], so it wasn't anything through the university,"" he said.
A representative from UW-Madison's study abroad office was unable to confirm whether McKinney is with their program or if they are aware she is in Israel.
In the intense fighting between Palestinians and the Israeli army that overtook the town as part of Israel's response to recent suicide bombings, Bethlehem and other West Bank cities have been declared closed military areas.
Continued tensions and attempts to evacuate foreigners pinned in the Star Hotel make determining the status of any individual difficult.
McPhail said McKinney was most likely drawn to the region because of the ongoing strife and not surprised by the situation.
""She is studying for journalism or photojournalism. ... She was definitely there because of the conflict,"" he said.
Among the other foreigners trapped in the hotel are a group of international peace activists with whom McKinney may have been traveling.
""She went [to Israel] visiting; she was with that group of British students,"" McPhail said. ""She was in the same hotel so I am gathering she was with them. ... She is pretty active in stuff like that, so she might have been there as an activist, also.""
Efforts were made Wednesday to evacuate foreigners in Bethlehem evacuated. Little was known as of press time who, if anyone, was rescued or where McKinney was.
""There is a convoy going to Jerusalem right now and we are not sure if she is on that,"" McPhail said. ""We haven't heard anything about it.""
He went on to say that although nothing is certain, McKinney being evacuated with any group is likely.
""If they got anybody out, they would get everyone out,"" he said.
