Gaza's civil defense says at least 30 killed in Israeli strikes
Civil defense agency spokesman Mahmud Basal said the strikes were carried out overnight and into the morning and 'targeted a number of citizens' homes' in the Nuseirat refugee camp.
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Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
The growing wave of celebrities who have endorsed a two-state solution and condemned Israel over the Gaza catastrophe
RIYADH: As Israel's assault on Gaza continues, a growing number of cultural figures are using their global platform to demand a ceasefire, speak out against alleged war crimes, and support Palestinian civilians. Almost 22 months since the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel triggered the war in Gaza, artists, writers, musicians, and actors who once remained silent have joined growing calls for a ceasefire and condemnation of what many now openly describe as genocide. This year alone, open letters signed by hundreds of artists, authors and filmmakers have made headlines, demanding action from political leaders and calling out what they describe as the dehumanization of Palestinians. From high-profile actors to music stars and children's entertainers, here are just some of the well-known figures who have taken a stand. Ariana Grande Pop singer Ariana Grande joined a growing number of artists speaking out about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. On Sunday, July 17, she posted two Instagram stories backing the Red Line for Gaza campaign, which demands unrestricted access to humanitarian aid. In one story, Grande shared a message that read: 'Starving people to death is a red line. The Israeli government is crossing this red line before our eyes.' Angelina Jolie In April this year, American actress Angelina Jolie, who spent over 20 years as a goodwill ambassador and special envoy for the UNHCR, reaffirmed her support for Gaza by sharing a Medecins Sans Frontiers report on Gaza in an Instagram story. The report described the situation in Gaza as a 'mass grave for Palestinians and those helping them.' But Jolie has been an advocate for Palestinian people's rights since the conflict began in October 2023. She wrote in an Instagram post on Oct. 28 that year: 'What happened in Israel is an act of terror. 'But that cannot justify the innocent lives lost in bombing a civilian population in Gaza that has nowhere to go, no access to food or water, no possibility of evacuation and not even the basic human right to cross a border to seek refuge.' Susan Sarandon In an Artists4Ceasefire post on Instagram in February, American actress Susan Sarandon was quoted as saying: 'Palestinians have the right to return, rebuild, and live in freedom on their land. 'Gaza was destroyed with our weapons — now Trump wants to ethnically cleanse Palestinian survivors to create resort properties for his developer friends and family. 'We must rise up together, use everything we have, to finally end the suffering our government inflicts. Peace and justice are for all of us, or for none of us. What we allow in Gaza, we allow everywhere.' Mark Ruffalo In February 2024, at the Directors Guild of America Awards in Beverly Hills, American actor Mark Ruffalo called for a ceasefire in Gaza. He wore two pins on his jacket and told the entertainment news website Deadline that the pins represented 'peace lilies and Artists for Ceasefire.' Ruffalo said: 'We've come to understand this bombing isn't working, we're not going to bomb our way to peace, and all we're saying is, what's wrong with giving a ceasefire a chance?' Piers Morgan British journalist Piers Morgan has publicly called on US President Donald Trump to intervene and demand Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu end the war in Gaza. In a post on X in June, Morgan wrote: 'Now is the time for you to tell (Netanyahu) to end this terrible war … and stop the incessant daily slaughter of civilians.' Once a staunch defender of Israel's right to retaliate after the Oct. 7 attack, Morgan has since shifted tone. Speaking with Mehdi Hasan on his show, he said he could 'resist no more' in criticizing Israel's actions, describing them as the 'starvation of the people.' Gigi and Bella Hadid Supermodel sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid have donated a combined $1 million to support Palestinian relief efforts. The funds were to be equally distributed among four organizations: HEAL Palestine, Palestine Children's Relief Fund, World Central Kitchen, and UNRWA. The Hadid sisters, whose father is Palestinian, have been outspoken advocates for the Palestinian cause, with Gigi expressing deep empathy for Palestinians living under occupation and emphasizing her hopes for peace that exclude harm to any Jewish person. 'I have deep empathy and heartbreak for the Palestinian struggle and life under occupation, it's a responsibility I hold daily,' Gigi said in a statement following the Oct. 7 attack. 'I also feel a responsibility to my Jewish friends to make it clear, as I have before: While I have hopes and dreams for Palestinians, none of them include the harm of a Jewish person.' Dua Lipa British-Kosovan singer Dua Lipa publicly condemned Israel's military operations in Gaza, calling them 'Israeli genocide,' The Guardian reported in May 2024. Sharing a graphic from the Artists4Ceasefire campaign alongside the widely used hashtag #AllEyesOnRafah, Lipa wrote: 'Burning children alive can never be justified. The whole world is mobilizing to stop the Israeli genocide. Please show your solidarity with Gaza.' Abel 'The Weeknd' Tesfaye In April 2024, Canadian singer and songwriter and UN World Food Programme Goodwill Ambassador Abel 'The Weeknd' Tesfaye allocated another $2 million from his XO Humanitarian Fund toward WFP's humanitarian response efforts in Gaza. The funding built on the original $2.5 million that Tesfaye directed to WFP's Gaza response in December 2023. Amir Khan In the days after the Oct. 7 attack, British-Pakistani former boxer Amir Khan said people are often 'scared' to come out in support of Palestine, fearing backlash. He took to X to say that 'Palestinian lives matter' and that he has 'never been scared to speak' his mind. 'My entire career, my aim was to become a world champion and use my fame and influence to make a positive change in the world,' he said. 'I've never been scared to speak my mind and stand up for the downtrodden. 'Recently when Ukraine was attacked by Russia, I personally flew to Poland to support the Ukrainian refugees who had been displaced by the effects of war. 'So many people spoke up about these atrocities, but as the world watches what is unfolding in Palestine, I see so many of my peers, friends and colleagues who are remaining silent. Why?' Renee Rapp American singer and actress Renee Rapp used her acceptance speech at the 35th annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles to call for an 'immediate' and 'permanent ceasefire' in Gaza. She urged the audience to use their voices to advocate not only for themselves but also for their friends and those who cannot advocate for themselves. Nicola Coughlan Irish actress Nicola Mary Coughlan regularly shares posts on social media showing support for Gaza. In one post from November 2023, she wrote: 'Let no one — no person, no news organization, no government gaslight you into thinking that basic human empathy is controversial.' In another post in May 2025, she called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and wrote: 'I think it deeply important that people speak up in this moment. No child, no matter where they are from, their religion, anything should be starved to death by a government. 'This is a war crime, plain and simple. The US and UK governments who are aiding and abetting this need to be held to account. This is happening with our tax money and we have a moral obligation to tell them we will not let this happen.' Riz Ahmed In October 2023, British-Pakistani actor and musician Riz Ahmed called Israel's strikes 'morally indefensible war crimes.' He urged the public and leaders to urgently speak out to prevent further loss of innocent lives, highlighting the deep pain and suffering experienced by both Israelis and Palestinians under long-standing occupation and ongoing violence. Ahmed has been part of movements and public letters urging respect for human rights and coexistence, implicitly supporting peace initiatives like a two-state solution. He has been involved in calls for peace in the Middle East alongside other celebrities, referencing 'a two-state solution for peace-loving Israelis and Palestinians' as part of broader advocacy. Zadie Smith A year after publishing an essay in The New Yorker critical of campus protests, British novelist Zadie Smith became one of the most prominent signatories of an open letter by UK and Irish authors condemning Israel's actions. 'The use of the words 'genocide' or 'acts of genocide' to describe what is happening in Gaza is no longer debated by international legal experts or human rights organizations,' the letter stated. Benedict Cumberbatch The British actor was among 300 UK public figures who signed an open letter to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, urging the UK to end its 'complicity in the horrors in Gaza.' The letter, organized by campaign group Choose Love, stated: 'Right now, children in Gaza are starving while food and medicine sit just minutes away, blocked at the border. Words won't feed Palestinian children — we need action. Every single one of Gaza's 2.1 million people is at risk of starvation, as you read this.' Steve Coogan After signing the UK entertainment industry letter, British actor Steve Coogan publicly read the names of children killed in Gaza at a Westminster vigil. He told Sky News: 'They're all children who had lives, who had nothing to do with the conflict … this has to stop.' As the 'mass, indiscriminate killing of innocent people' has continued, he added, 'more and more people are realizing that this has to stop.' Juliette Binoche Initially reluctant to sign a Cannes Film Festival letter denouncing genocide in Gaza, Binoche faced backlash for her silence. After dedicating her festival opening remarks to a slain Gazan journalist — without naming Israel — she reversed course and signed the letter the next day. More than 370 actors and filmmakers, including high-profile Hollywood figures such as Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, and Guillermo del Toro signed the May open letter condemning the film industry's silence on what they described as 'genocide' in Gaza. Malala Yousafzai The Nobel laureate wrote on X: 'It makes me sick to my stomach to see Israel's cruelty and brutality in Gaza … I call on every world leader to put maximum pressure on the Israeli government to end this genocide and protect civilians.' Thom Yorke The Radiohead frontman, once criticized for performing in Tel Aviv, posted on Instagram to denounce Netanyahu for the 'horrific blockade of aid to Gaza,' adding that the 'excuse of self-defense has long worn thin.' Rachel Accurso The children's entertainer behind the successful YouTube brand, Ms Rachel, told NPR in May: 'I would risk everything, and I will risk my career over and over to stand up for (Gazan children). It's all about the kids for me.' Dan Reynolds During a Milan concert, Imagine Dragons' Reynolds wore a Palestinian flag after a fan tossed it on stage. The act drew renewed attention to the band's controversial earlier decision to perform in Israel — and highlighted shifting stances within the music world. Paloma Faith Faith delivered a speech at a protest outside the Israeli Embassy in London in March, vowing she 'won't fall silent until Palestine is free.' She said: 'When the ceasefire was called, like all of you I was relieved but fearful that it would not last. 'I know that Israel has violated every ceasefire agreement it has ever signed, but even with that knowledge and that fear, even after watching months of that genocide, I wasn't prepared for these new depths of brutality to which Israel has descended.' She added: 'A child is slaughtered every eight minutes, we should stand in silence for a minute for every child killed in Gaza in this genocide but if we did that, we'd be silent for over 300 hours so I won't fall silent.' She has also appeared in a campaign urging boycotts of Israeli goods. Hannah Einbinder While accepting a Human Rights Campaign award in LA in March, the Hacks star said: 'I am horrified by the Israeli government's massacre of well over 65,000 Palestinians in Gaza.' 'I am ashamed and infuriated that this mass murder is funded by our American tax dollars. It should not be controversial to say that we should all be against murdering civilians.' Andrew Garfield On the Happy Sad Confused podcast in October 2024, American actor Garfield was blunt: 'We should be putting our energy towards something that actually matters — maybe the lives of Palestinians in Gaza right now. 'Maybe that's where we put our hearts and our energy in, and oppressed, anyone suffering under the weight of the horrors of our world right now, anyone who doesn't have a choice in living lives of dignity. That's where our energy should be going right now.' Marcia Cross The 'Desperate Housewives' actress has consistently called for a ceasefire on social media. 'It's about the land. And extermination of the Palestinian people. Sick,' she wrote in October 2024. In February, she posted a quote from Iraqi-American lawyer and poet Tina Al-Khersan on Instagram, which read: 'I'm struggling to comprehend how to live among people with eyes that don't water, hearts that don't flinch, and voices that remain silent.' John Legend Speaking to Mehdi Hasan in October 2024, Legend criticized US aid to Israel. 'We shouldn't be writing blank checks to any country … It makes me very frustrated at how we easily dehumanize certain people.' He has long linked racial justice in the US to Palestinian liberation. Javier Bardem In 2014, Bardem denounced Israeli attacks in the Spanish newspaper El Diario, facing backlash that lasted years. In 2024, he returned to the issue at the San Sebastian Film Festival, criticizing the Oct. 7 attack, as well as the 'massive punishment that the Palestinian population is enduring.' Speaking to AP after the event, Bardem said: 'I believe that we can and must help bring peace. If we take a different approach, then we will get different results. 'The security and prosperity of Israel and the health and future of a free Palestine will only be possible through a culture of peace, coexistence and respect.' JJ (Johannes Pietsch) After winning Eurovision 2025, JJ criticized Israel's inclusion in the competition. 'It's very disappointing to see Israel still participating. I would like Eurovision to be held without Israel in Vienna next year,' the Austrian-Filipino singer told Spanish newspaper El Pais. 'But the ball is in the European Broadcasting Union's court. We, the artists, can only speak out on the matter.'
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
UN expert on torture demands end to ‘lethal, inhumane, degrading' starvation of civilians in Gaza
NEW YORK CITY: The UN's special rapporteur on torture, Alice Jill Edwards, on Wednesday expressed grave concern over the growing number of starvation-related deaths among Palestinians in Gaza. She described the starving of civilians as 'lethal, inhumane and degrading,' and called for the rapid and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to the battered enclave. 'Depriving people of food, water and dignity has been a serious and recurring violation of this war and it must end,' she said, citing 'shocking' reports of people being killed while queuing for food, as well as widespread hunger and malnutrition. The risk of all-out famine in Gaza is escalating, she added, stressing that all parties to the conflict have legal obligations under international law to ensure civilians under their control have access to food and water, and to facilitate humanitarian operations. 'They must not steal, divert or willfully impede the distribution of aid,' Edwards said. She detailed the 'catastrophic physiological consequences' of prolonged calorie deprivation, including malnutrition, organ failure and death, particularly among vulnerable groups such as infants and pregnant women. 'The psychological impact of being deprived of food and water is inherently cruel,' she added. 'Constantly changing rules, militarized distributions and daily and hourly uncertainty about when one is going to access these basic necessities is causing utter despair, stress and trauma.' She welcomed a recent announcement by Israel of humanitarian pauses in military operations to allow the World Food Programme to deliver aid throughout Gaza over a planned three-month period, but said 'more must be done' to end the hostilities and establish long-term peace based on a two-state solution. 'No one should have to suffer the humiliation of being forced to beg for food, and especially not when there are ample supplies waiting to be provided,' she said. Edwards also reiterated her call for the unconditional and immediate release of all hostages, the release of arbitrarily detained Palestinians, and for independent investigations into allegations of torture, ill-treatment and other potential war crimes by all parties. She said she has raised her concerns repeatedly with relevant authorities and continues to press for full accountability. Special rapporteurs are part of what is known as the special procedures of the UN Human Rights Council. They are independent experts who work on a voluntary basis, are not members of UN staff and are not paid for their work.
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
African armies turn to drones with devastating civilian impact
PARIS: The Easter period usually offers a rare respite in Gedeb, in Ethiopia's deeply troubled north, but on April 17 death rained from the skies in this sleepy town caught up in a war between rebels and the army. On this important holiday for Ethiopian Orthodox and Protestant Christians, many families had gathered in the morning to repair the local primary school. But out of the blue, shortly before 11:00 a.m. (1400 GMT), 'a drone fired on the crowd and pulverized many people right in front of my eyes,' a resident said. Ethiopia and many other African nations are increasingly turning to drones as a low-cost means of waging war, often with mixed military results but devastating consequences for civilian populations. Last year, Ethiopia carried out a total of 54 drone strikes, compared to 62 attacks in Mali, 82 in Burkina Faso and 266 in Sudan, according to data collected by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, a US-based monitor. According residents, the strike killed 'at least' 50 people, others said more than 100 — a figure corroborated by several local media outlets. It is one of the deadliest in a series of drone attacks since the conflict began in August 2023, pitting the Ethiopian army against the Fano, the traditional 'self-defense' militias of the Amhara ethnic group. A shoe seller at the scene, whose nephew was killed instantly, also blamed an armed drone that continued to 'hover in the air' some 20 minutes after the strike. 'The sight was horrific: there were heads, torsos and limbs flying everywhere and seriously injured people screaming in pain,' he recalled. Ethiopian authorities have not released any information about this attack in Amhara, where the security situation makes some areas very difficult to access and communications are subject to significant restrictions. The Ethiopian army's use of drones, which began during the bloody Tigray War (2020-2022), has since spread to the Amhara and Oromia regions amid multiple insurgencies. In the Amhara region alone, now the hardest-hit, at least 669 people have been killed in more than 70 drone strikes since 2023, according to ACLED. Ethiopia and many other African nations are increasingly turning to drones as a low-cost means of waging war, often with mixed military results but devastating consequences for civilian populations. Remotely piloted aircraft used for reconnaissance and strikes — low-cost technologies now ubiquitous in current conflicts and particularly in Ukraine — are generating massive interest in Africa. Some 30 African governments have acquired drones, according to data from the International Institute for Strategic Studies 'Military Balance' and the Center for a New American Security's Drone Proliferation Dataset. For decades, wars in Africa had been fought on land, conducted primarily by light and mobile infantry units. 'Drones offer sub-Saharan African militaries more affordable and flexible access to air power, which has been out of reach until now due to its cost and operational complexity,' said Djenabou Cisse, a west African security specialist at the Foundation for Strategic Research. Countries like China, Turkiye and Iran have the advantage of selling drones 'without attaching any political conditionality related to respect for human rights,' she added. Among African military commands, the most popular is undoubtedly the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drone, which, along with its big brother, the Akinci, has dethroned the Chinese Wing Loong in recent years. The TB2 made a notable appearance in 2019 in Libya, the first African theater of drone warfare, between the Government of National Accord and its eastern rival, the Libyan National Army. The following year, its deployment in the Karabakh region during the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and then in Ukraine starting in 2022, boosted its popularity. Orders soared and waiting lists grew. While contract details are kept secret, experts estimate that a 'system' of three drones costs nearly $6 million — significantly less than the several tens of millions for a fighter jet or combat helicopter. This offsets its rather average performance, with a range limited to 150 km. The TB2 is produced by private company Baykar. After severing ties with former colonial ruler France, the military regimes of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have turned to Turkish drones to attack rivals. In December last year, the Malian army eliminated a leader and several members of the Azawad Liberation Front, a pro-independence coalition, in a drone attack. In November 2023, drones played a decisive role in the recapture of the northern Malian city of Kidal from predominantly Tuareg rebels. In Chad, four Turkish drones have replaced French fighter jets at the forward bases they occupied until N'Djamena ended its military cooperation agreements with France at the end of 2024. The latter had repeatedly provided air support to help the Chadian government halt the advance of rebels threatening the capital. The capital N'Djamena is equipped with only five Russian Sukhoi aircraft and as many aging Mi-24 helicopters. Contrary to Franco-Chadian relations, 'there is no military cooperation agreement (between N'Djamena and Ankara) but a trade agreement that allows us to acquire military equipment,' a Chadian officer said.
