'The people and children of Palestine, especially in Gaza, cannot afford our silence. We are not brave – they are,' says Bella Hadid

Bella Hadid posted a written statement to her Instagram condemning the Hamas attacks and advocating for the innocent lives of Palestinians amid Israel airstrikes in Gaza.

The supermodel shared a post on Instagram asking the public to “forgive” her for her silence amid the Hamas terror attacks and Israeli retaliation, telling her followers that she struggled to find the “ideal” words to respond to the “deeply intricate and horrific” events of the past two weeks.

She explained that amid being sent “hundreds of death threats daily” and her phone number being leaked, she and her family have felt unsafe. Despite these risks, Hadid wrote that “fear is not an option,” and added, “The people and children of Palestine, especially in Gaza, cannot afford our silence. We are not brave – they are.”

“My heart is bleeding with pain from the trauma I am seeing unfold, as well as the generational trauma of my Palestinian blood,” she continued. “Seeing the aftermath from the airstrikes in Gaza, I mourn with all the mothers who have lost children and the children who cry alone, all the lost fathers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunties, friends that will never again walk this earth.”

 Bella Hadid poses for a photograph. 

The Dior ambassador added that she “mourned” for the Israeli families who suffered loss and pain in the aftermath of the 7 October Hamas attacks. “I condemn the terrorist attacks on any civilians, anywhere,” she wrote.

Dispelling misconceptions about Palestinians

“Harming women and children and inflicting terror does not and should not do any good for the Free Palestine movement,” she noted. “I believe deep in my heart, that no child, no people anywhere, should be taken away from their family either temporarily or indefinitely.” She added, “This goes for Israeli and Palestinian people alike.”

In light of the ongoing conflict, Hadid underscored the importance of understanding “the hardship of what it is to be Palestinian, in a world that sees us as nothing more than terrorists resisting peace.” She said that these notions were “categorically untrue.”

Hadid went on to describe her father’s experience as a native Palestinian, who was born in Nazareth in 1948, the year of what Palestinians call the Nakba, in which 750,000 Palestinians were displaced. She said her father’s family was “expelled” from Palestine and forced to become refugees.

The supermodel wrote that for 75 years, her family had witnessed “brutal settler invasions” that included the destruction of entire communities as well as cold-blooded murder and the “forcible removal of families from their homes.” This had caused “unimaginable” pain, she said.

“We must all stand together in defending humanity and compassion – and demanding that our leaders do the same,” she urged her followers. “All religions are peace – it is governments that are corrupt, and intertwining the two makes for the greatest sin of all. We are one and God has created all equal. All bloodshed, tears, and bodies should be mourned with the same respect.”

She added: “There is an urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza that must be attended to. Families need access to water and food. Hospitals need fuel to power generators, tend to the wounded and keep people alive.”

Hadid wrote that even during war laws “must be upheld,” no matter the circumstance. She encouraged her followers to “keep pressure” on world leaders to remind them of the Palestinian plight so that fewer innocent civilians would end up “the forgotten casualties of this war.”

In the past, Hadid has taken public stances, standing with the Free Palestine movement. In May 2021, she received public backlash for attending a pro-Palestine march in New York City along with her sister Gigi and Dua Lipa, who was dating her brother Anwar at the time. She was the target of an ad placed by the World Values Network in the New York Times condemning her support of Palestine, saying: “Hamas calls for a second Holocaust. Condemn them now.”

The controversy led to calls for brands like Dior to drop Hadid as an ambassador, which was largely ignored.

Hadid has also notably condemned anti-Semitism, indirectly commenting on Twitter, now known as X, on Kanye West’s disturbing “death con 3” on Jewish people remarks.

At the time, the model wrote: “To allow any form of anti-Semitism to slip by, as desensitised as the world has become, it would be a disservice to my friends, the families I have grown up with, the people I love and work with, myself, and even the Palestinian cause as a whole.”

The Independent