Detroit Lions LB Alex Anzalone reveals his parents are trying to evacuate Israel amidst war

Detroit Lions linebacker and team captain Alex Anzalone said on X, formerly Twitter, that his parents are currently in Jerusalem looking to evacuate amid the rapidly intensifying war between Israel and Palestinian militants this weekend.

Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, invaded Isreael on Saturday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there are reports of American casualties and hostages, and the American government is working to verify every U.S. citizen in the country to evacuate them before events escalate further.

Anzalone commented on post by U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Florida), which also included the congressman's video interview on Fox News. Donalds said 53 of his constituents in southwest Florida were currently visiting Jerusalem.

Anzalone, who was born and raised in Pennsylvania but attended college at the University of Florida, offered a simple plea to help bring his parents home.

"My parents are in this group. Please get my parents home… @POTUS," Anzalone posted, while tagging POTUS, President Joe Biden's official account on X.

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 is still ongoing.

Anzalone posted the news after playing Sunday in the Lions' win over the Carolina Panthers. The linebacker led the team with 11 tackles and had two hits on Carolina quarterback Bryce Young.

Anzalone, was drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints, where he played for parts of four seasons. The Lions signed him on March 24, 2021. He has started 36 consecutive games for Detroit, including all five games this season.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions' Alex Anzalone says his parents stuck in Israel amid war