Supermodel Gigi Hadid has taken a firm stance on the recent tragic events in Israel. In a new statement, GiGi, who is of Palestinian descent, condemned the murders of innocent people and made it clear that these acts of violence are not representative of the Free Palestine movement.
As we previously reported, the Palestinian militant group Hamas carried out a surprise weekend attack on Israel, killing at least 900 people so far. Militants also kidnapped at least 100 hostages, some Americans, and took them into Gaza, pledging to kill them if Israel does any airstrikes on Gaza without warning. Over in Gaza, the death toll has reached at least 765 people from the retaliatory airstrikes.
Speaking on the conflict, the 28-year-old posted a lengthy statement that read, “My thoughts are with all those affected by this unjustifiable tragedy, and every day that innocent lives are taken by this conflict —too many of which are children. I have deep empathy and heartbreak for the Palestinian struggle and life under occupation, it’s a responsibility I hold daily. I also feel a responsibility to my Jewish friends to make it clear, as I have before: While I have hopes and dreams for Palestinians, none of them include the harm of a Jewish person,” she began. She went on to say,
“The terrorizing of innocent people is not in alignment with & does not do any good for the ‘Free Palestine’ movement. The idea that it does has fueled a painful, decades-long cycle of back-and-forth retaliation (which no innocent civilian, Palestinian or Israeli, deserves to be a casualty of), and helps perpetuate the false idea that being Pro-Palestine = antisemitic.”
Before concluding she added, “If you are hurting, as I share my condolences today with my loved ones, both Palestinian and Jewish, I’m sending you my love & strength — whoever and wherever you are. There are a lot of complex, personal, and valid feelings, but every human deserves basic rights, treatment, and security; no matter their nationality, religion, ethnicity, or where they were born. I know my words will never be enough or heal the deep wounds of so many, but I pray for the safety of innocent lives, always.”
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Now, as some are aware, Gigi and her sister, Bella, have shared their anti-Israeli thoughts online in the past and have come under fire for it. In 2021, they claimed that Israel wasn’t a country, but instead a colonized land.
Despite their political beliefs, Gigi is just trying to advocate for peace.