What Gal Gadot said about the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip

Gal Gadot has dedicated her social media accounts to supporting the people of Israel amid her home country’s conflict with Hamas.

Militants fighting for Hamas swept into Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,200 people, according to the Israeli military. Hamas said the surprise attack was retaliation for worsening living conditions for Palestinians under Israeli occupation.

Israel subsequently launched attacks against Hamas, launching Operation Iron Swords. Israel carries out airstrikes on the isolated and densely populated Gaza Strip. Israel has also stopped bringing food, fuel and medicine into Gaza, worsening the humanitarian situation in the tiny territory of 2.3 million people.

On Tuesday evening, an explosion occurred at Al-Ahly Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip. The Hamas-led Palestinian Health Ministry said the explosion killed about 500 people, many of whom were forced to flee their homes under Israeli evacuation orders.

Palestinian militants and officials said the cause was an Israeli airstrike, while Israel Defense Forces (IDF) personnel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed it on a misguided missile fired from the Gaza Strip by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group.

At least 1,400 Israelis and at least 2,778 Palestinians were killed at the hospital before the bombing, according to the Associated Press. As a result of the terrorist attack on October 7, about 200 people were taken hostage.

In the context of ongoing conflict Amazing woman Star Gadot has dedicated her social media feeds to highlighting the plight of Israelis held hostage by Hamas.

After the initial attacks, Gadot took to Instagram, where she posted a photo of the Star of David, under which she made the statement: “I support Israel.”

“I support Israel and you should too” Amazing woman the star signed the photo. “The world cannot sit idly by while these horrific acts of terrorism occur!”

Since then, several posts about Israelis being taken hostage have appeared on Gadot’s platform with the hashtags “#ReleaseTheHostages” and “#BringThemBack.”

The screen star, who has over 109 million Instagram followers, was praised for her efforts. “Using your platform of 109 MILLION to be the voice of my people. Gal, we will always remember this,” wrote an Instagram user.

However, many others responded to Gadot’s posts with a flood of “Free Palestine” comments. “What do you think about Palestine?” – asked one Instagram user.

Gadot has not yet responded to this comment, preferring instead to focus on the plight of the dozens of Israelis captured by the militants.

Her silence on the Palestinians could well be due to the fact that she actually spoke about their time in the conflict only to face a wave of criticism.

“The killing of innocent Palestinians is terrible. The murder of innocent Israelis is terrible,” Gadot wrote in an Instagram Story post. “If you don’t feel the same way, I think you should ask yourself why that is.”

The post caught the attention of Israeli TV presenter and commentator Ofira Asayag, who shared a screenshot of the star’s comment on her Instagram account.

“Gal Gadot, you deleted your post. Well done,” Assayag wrote in an Israeli newspaper. Haaretz. “I have refrained from answering you several times because you are concerned about your income and career, and that is normal. But this time you crossed the line.”

“Come see fields filled with beheaded babies, murdered girls, dead soldiers and grieving families. Those who attacked us are cruel and hate Israel,” Asayag added. “Be silent, it will be better for all of us. You live in some Hollywood movie, and when you want, you are Israeli again.”

Responding to the criticism, Gadot reportedly wrote: “Ophira, my love, I am sorry if my words were not understood as I meant them. All I want is to speak out for Israel in the world and show the horrors we are experiencing and help gain worldwide support in the face of our critics.

“I will continue to do everything in my power to ensure that Israel’s protest is heard everywhere. My heart is bleeding and I am beside myself with sadness about what is happening.”

Newsweek contacted a Gadot representative via email for comment.

Back in 2021, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s son Yair Netanyahu criticized Gadot for publishing a “neutral” report on the Gaza conflict. After Gadot said in a statement that Israel “deserves to live as a free and secure nation, and our neighbors deserve the same,” Netanyahu Jr. said her post read “as if she were from Switzerland.”

Given the recent backlash that celebrities like Amy Schumer and Mia Khalifa have faced in light of their social media posts about the war, it might be considered prudent for public figures to be careful about the opinions they share.

Evan Nierman, CEO of global PR company Red Banyan, spoke about this. Newsweek that the backlash some celebrities have faced for their war-related posts reflects a broader social problem.

Nirman, author The Curse of Cancel Cultureadded that Schumer’s critics are ultimately “a group of nameless, faceless online keyboard crusaders who love to attack anyone and everyone, but especially celebrities and people who have higher profiles and more influential lives than their own to enter into conversation to make themselves relevant ad hominem attacks.

“So, whether it’s Amy Schumer or another celebrity, social media has become this. The blood sport of criticism and poison.”