Bella Hadid is breaking her silence on the Israel-Hamas war.
The supermodel, who is of Palestinian descent, took to Instagram to speak out on the conflict and humanitarian crisis in the region.
“Forgive me for my silence,” she began. “I have yet to find the ideal words for this deeply intricate and horrific past 2 weeks, weeks that have turned the world’s attention back towards a situation that has been taking innocent lives and affecting families for decades. I have much to say, but for today, I will keep it short.”
Bella, who is known for her advocacy for Palestine, shared that she’s been the target of hate in recent weeks.
“I’ve been sent hundreds of death threats daily, my phone number has been leaked, and my family has felt to be in danger,” she wrote. “But I cannot 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.”
Bella continued, “My heart is bleeding with pain from the trauma I am seeing unfold, as well as the generational trauma of my Palestinian blood. 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.”
“I mourn for the Israeli families that have been dealing with the pain and aftermath of October 7th,” the “Ramy” actress added. “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. That goes for Israeli and Palestinian people alike.”
Bella emphasized that it’s “important to understand the hardship of what it is to be Palestinian,” adding that it’s “harmful” and “shameful” that the world “sees us as nothing more than terrorists resisting peace.”
The runway model went on to share the story of her father, real estate developer Mohamed Hadid, who was born in Palestine.
“My father was born in Nazareth in the year of the Nakba (the displacement of 750,000 Palestinians in 1948),” she wrote. “Nine days after he was born, he, in his mother’s arms, along with this family, were expelled from their home of Palestine, becoming refugees, away from a place they once called home. My grandparents, never being allowed to return. 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. The practice of settlements on Palestinian land still continues to this day. The pain of that is unimaginable.”
Bella then shared a call to for all to “stand together in defending humanity and compassion” and demand the same from their leaders.
“All religions are peace – it is governments that are corrupt, and intertwining the two makes for the greatest sin of all,” she wrote. “We are one, and God has created all equal. All bloodshed, tears, and bodies should be mourned with the same respect.”
“There is an urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza that must be attended to,” Bella added. “Families need access to water and food. Hospitals need fuel to power generators, tend to the wounded and keep people alive. Wars have laws – and they must be upheld, no matter what. 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.”
“I stand with humanity, knowing that peace and safety belong to us all,” she concluded her post.
NBC News reports than 7,000 people have been killed in Gaza, citing Palestinian health officials, and that about 1,400 people have been killed in Israel, per the Israel Defence Forces.