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Ariel Zohar, a courageous 13-year-old, lost every member of his family in the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
When Zohar's parents, grandfather and sisters were killed in their home, he was outside.
Yaniv Zohar, the father of Zohar, was a photographer and videographer for the Israel Hayom newspaper. He had covered the Gaza Strip for many years. Yasmin, Ariel's mother, was 49 years old, while Tehelet, his sister, was 18 years old, and Keshet, his other sister, was 20.
Ariel escaped the carnage unscathed because he had gone for a jog shortly before the attackers crossed the Israeli border. The teenager fled to the commune's first apartment as the Hamas perpetrators raided the area. The leader of the neighborhood security team lived there and he kept Ariel in a safe house before he left to protect the neighborhood.
For a long time, Ariel was hiding in the safe room, frozen in fear. But when he came out from hiding, the devastating truth struck him: many others had been brutally murdered, and he was the only one left in his family.
Ariel clung to his extended family a few days following the sad event, crying as he did so in the company of numerous other grieving people who had come to honor the deceased.
Many NFL superstars have sent birthday wishes to Ariel Zohar
On his 13th birthday, Ariel Zohar received emotional birthday video greetings from NFL luminaries Dez Bryant and DeSean Jackson as well as NBA stars Tyler Herro, Michael Porter, Isaiah Thomas, Glen Davis, Terance Mann and Marcus Morris. Ariel Zohar's family was killed on October 7 during the Hamas attack in Israel.
"Ariel, what's up? It's your boy Desean Jackson here. All I want to do is wish you a good birthday, the best for yourself, and strength to get through these trying times. Hugs and regards. It's your boy Desean Jackson, and I'm saluting you. My brother, you got it. We're all behind you. Much love bro," Desean Jackson said in the video he sent to the teenager.
Hopefully, the sincere video greetings have made Ariel smile at a time when he's experiencing unfathomable grief.
