American model Bella Hadid has once again garnered attention for Gaza by sharing a heartfelt song on Instagram.
The half-Palestinian supermodel has been a vocal supporter of Palestinian rights and previously marched in protests supporting the Free Palestine movement.
She opened her lengthy October 26 statement — which comes a little over a week after her older sister Gigi was called out by the State of Israel’s official Instagram — by asking followers to forgive her for her “silence.” “I’ve been sent hundreds of death threats daily, my phone number has been leaked, and my family has felt to be in danger,” Hadid wrote. “But I can not be silenced any longer. Fear is not an option. The people and children of Palestine, especially in Gaza, cannot afford our silence. We are not brave – they are.”
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Referencing the aftermath of airstrikes in Gaza, Hadid expressed, “My heart is bleeding with pain from the trauma I am seeing unfold, as well as the generational trauma of my Palestinian blood.” She noted that she is also mourning for Israeli families who have suffered losses and separations, writing, “Regardless of the history of the land, I condemn the terrorist attacks on any civilians, anywhere. Harming women and children and inflicting terror does not and should not do any good for the Free Palestine movement. I believe deep in my heart, that no child, no people anywhere, should be taken away from their family either temporarily or indefinitely.”
Hadid went on to push back against the perception of Palestinians as “nothing more than terrorists resisting peace.” She pointed to her own family’s history, sharing that her father and grandparents were “expelled from their home of Palestine, becoming refugees” nine days after his birth in 1948. “My family witnessed 75 years of violence against Palestinian people – most notably, brutal settler invasions which led to the destruction of entire communities, murder in cold blood, and the forcible removal of families from their homes,” she wrote. “The practice of settlements on Palestinian land continues to this day. The pain of that is unimaginable.”
Ultimately, Hadid issued a call for “humanity and compassion,” noting, “We are one, and God has created all equal. All bloodshed, tears, and bodies should be mourned with the same respect.” Her statement concluded by urging for a global response to humanitarian needs in Gaza. “We need to keep pressure on our leaders, wherever we are, not to forget the urgent needs of the people of Gaza, and to ensure that innocent Palestinian civilians are not the forgotten casualties of this war,” she said. “I stand with humanity, knowing that peace and safety belong to us all.”
