Detroit Lions linebacker and team captain Alex Anzalone said on Twitter that his parents are currently in Jerusalem looking to evacuate after war broke out between Israel and Palestine this weekend.
Hamas, a Palestinian militant group rebelling against Israel, invaded the country on Saturday. According to USA TODAY, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there are reports of American casualties and hostages and are working to verify every U.S. citizen within the country to evacuate before events escalate further.
Anzalone commented on X (formerly known as Twitter) on a video of an interview with U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds from Florida, who said 53 of his constituents were currently visiting the country looking to leave as soon as possible. He offered a simple plea to help bring his parents home.
My parents are in this group. Please get my parents home… @POTUS https://t.co/Jjg3M1teyp
— Alex Anzalone (@AlexAnzalone34) October 8, 2023
The fighting started in Israel on Saturday when Hamas invaded Israeli cities and fired thousands of rockets. Israel responded by bombing Gaza and officially declaring war against Hamas. The death toll currently sits around 1,000 according to U.S. officials. The fighting in cities is still ongoing.
Anzalone posted the news after playing Sunday in the Lions’ win over the Carolina Panthers. The captain linebacker led the team with 11 tackles and had two hits on quarterback Bryce Young.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions’ Alex Anzalone wants help getting parents out of Israel