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Gigi and Bella Hadid ‘stand with Palestine’ amid Israel-Hamas conflict
Gigi and Bella Hadid have stood with Palestine amid escalating violence between Israel and Hamas.
At least 35 Palestinians, including 12 children, and six people in Israel have been killed following the Israeli military carrying out airstrikes in Gaza and Palestinian militant groups firing back rockets at Israeli cities.
In the wake of the violence, Gigi and Hadid, whose father Mohamed is Palestinian, took to social media to stand with the people of Palestine and explain the situation to their followers.
Bella, 24, shared an infographic explaining the conflict between Palestine and Israel, and wrote: ‘There is NO place for this !!! Especially in 2021!!!! it has always been #freepalestine . ALWAYS. I have a lot to say about this but for now , please read and educate yourself. This is not about religion. This is not about spewing hate on one or the other. This is about Israeli colonization , ethnic cleansing , military occupation and apartheid over the Palestinian people that has been going on for YEARS!
‘I stand with my Palestinian brothers and sisters , I will protect and support you as best as I can. I LOVE YOU.
‘I have been told my entire life that who I am : a Palestinian woman – is not real. I’ve been told my father does not have a birth place if he is from Palestine. And I am here to say. Palestine is very much real and the Palestinian people are here to stay and coexist. As they always have.’
She also posted a graphic reading: ‘Future generations will look back in disbelief and wonder how we allowed the Palestinian suffering to continue for so long. A human tragedy unfolding right in front of our eyes.
‘Politicians stutter neutral words in fear of being reprimanded, whilst the world remains silent to avoid offending the wrong people.
‘History has taught us to speak up. You are either on the right side or you are not. It’s that simple.’
Bella and Gigi, 26, both posted another graphic which read: ‘
One cannot advocate for racial equality, LGBT & women’s rights, condemn corrupt & abusive regimes and other injustices yet choose to ignore the Palestinian oppression. It does not add up.
‘You cannot pick & choose whose human rights matter more.’
Gigi, who shares a daughter, Khai, with boyfriend Zayn Malik, also shared a picture of her father’s passport, which states that he is from Palestine.
The pair’s model brother Anwar Hadid also shared support for Palestine on his Instagram stories, while his girlfriend Dua Lipa shared the hashtag: ‘#SaveSheikhJarrah.’
This is in reference to the delayed Israeli ruling which will decide whether Palestinians can be evicted from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, outside the Old City, to make room for Jewish settlers.
The violence has escalated following demonstrations in Jerusalem, where 300 Palestinians were injured in a police raid on the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, one of the holiest sites in Islam.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that militants will ‘pay a very heavy price’ for the rockets which reached Jerusalem, while the United Nations’ Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland has called for de-escalation.
He tweeted: ‘Stop the fire immediately. We’re escalating towards a full scale war. Leaders on all sides have to take the responsibility of de-escalation.
‘The cost of war in Gaza is devastating & is being paid by ordinary people. UN is working w/ all sides to restore calm. Stop the violence now.’
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