A Madison man and his daughter are in Israel amid war with Hamas and are praying they can leave soon due to the uncertainty over what will happen next.
"I can't believe that I came to spend time with my daughter, and I find myself in the middle of a war," Scott Forester of Madison says. "It's like a nightmare."
Scott says he traveled from Madison to Israel last week, days before Hamas militants set off historic attacks.
He and his daughter Rena are in the Town of Caesarea, north of Tel Aviv.
"We have had no rockets aimed here," Scott explains. "Although, we heard a couple of things being hit by the Iron Dome a little earlier."
Rena, who lives in Israel, said, "We're really lucky that this part of the country is really the safest place to be right now."
Scott is a member of the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County. His original flight home was canceled. He and his daughter booked a flight to Budapest on Thursday, but the decision to leave is an emotional one.
"It feels there's a part of me that feels like I'm abandoning my people, my friends. I could cry," Rena says.
They do not know what each day will bring and go to bed each night with essential supplies ready to go.
"I will say that we both are so grateful to be together," Scott said. "If I was in Madison, I would be just beside myself with worry."
Rena agreed, "It's a total blessing, and my dad's been really inspiring."
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