Ex-USC basketball player Destiny Littleton’s living in fear in Israel

Less than a month ago, Destiny Littleton A topic was shared on Instagram Weird visit to McDonald’s In Jerusalem, where the former USC shooting guard plays professional basketball.

HE posts from the last four days It was definitely different. Sirens blare in the background as I anxiously try to locate a bomb shelter. Bombs can then be heard, but Littleton doesn’t dare say the word, instead pronouncing it: “I definitely hear three or four BOMBS,” he says in the video. “Didn’t you hear that?”

Littleton is one of many US citizens attempting to leave the Middle East under the direction of the US State Department. Section published on social media site XThe United States is instructing its citizens to leave more than a dozen countries because of security risks and to remain where they are until they do so.

The war, which started when the USA and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday and killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, turned into a regional conflict. Iran and its allies retaliated against Israel and neighboring Gulf states.

littleton Played at USC in 2022-2023 As a graduate student, he is transferring after winning the national championship at South Carolina a year ago. As a San Diego Bishop high school senior in 2016-2017, he led the nation in scoring and became the first high school player in state history to score more than 4,000 points in his career.

Littleton moved to Israel in November to play for Hapoel Jerusalem, one of the country’s top professional teams. Like everyone else in Israel, his life has been turned upside down in the last few days.

He described the ordeal in a handful of Instagram posts. While filming bright flashes in the sky at one of them, he said: “There are no sirens going off right now, but there are still things exploding in the sky. I’m sure they’re either missiles or drones.”

He moved into a teammate’s house on Monday because the bomb shelter he was using was too small, he said.

“I’m going to pack my things and go to my teammate’s house until this is all over,” he said as he hurriedly walked outside. “They have a shelter there. It’s much more comfortable than the BOMB shelter I was just in. It could fit five people and that was it. I said, ‘No, no, no, I don’t want to be in here.'”

Bombs could still be heard in the distance in videos from Monday and Tuesday. Littleton, like many foreigners, is trying to leave Israel as soon as possible.

“To those asking why I didn’t leave, no one can enter or leave because the airspace is closed,” he said. “I will be here and safe with my teammates until this situation is over.”

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley wrote to x Three of his former players – Littleton, Mikiah Herbert-Harrigan and Tiffany Mitchell – are in a “war zone” in Israel, but he said on Sunday there was “nothing you can do” because of canceled flights.

Littleton thanked her followers in one of her last posts:

“It’s 11:47pm on the third night and first of all I want to thank all the strangers and all my friends and family who have sent countless prayers and loved my way,” he said. “I’m so grateful and thankful. It means the world to me and got me through these three days…

“Back to the update. We had a really quiet day today… For a moment it felt like we weren’t in a war. I just have to thank God and pray for the peace we have today. My mind is at peace a little bit. I’m grateful for the little victories and I pray as we look for a way out, we’re trying to get to a safe area, the goal is to get back to America.”

“I know that with everybody helping me and everybody being there for me, I’m going to get there, we’re going to get there, my teammates and everybody in the league is going to get there. Thank you again. I love you.”