Madonna urges pope to visit Gaza ‘before it's too late'
Addressing Pope Leo XIV, she wrote: 'Most Holy Father. Please go to Gaza and bring your light to the children before it's too late. As a mother, I cannot bear to watch their suffering.
'The children of the world belong to everyone. You are the only one of us who cannot be denied entry,' she added. 'We need the humanitarian gates to be fully opened to save these innocent children. There is no more time. Please say you will go. Love, Madonna.' The singer added that she wasn't taking sides in the war.
'I am not pointing fingers, placing blame or taking sides. Everyone is suffering. Including the mothers of the hostages,' she wrote. 'I pray that they are released as well. I am merely trying to do what I can to keep these children from dying of starvation.' The pope recently renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, asking the international community to respect humanitarian laws and the obligation to protect civilians.
'I once again call for an immediate end to the barbarity of this war and a peaceful resolution to the conflict,' the pontiff said last month.
Aid workers and doctors have said that after months of Israeli blockade and turmoil in the distribution of supplies, children in Gaza with no previous conditions are starting to die from malnutrition.
Israel's air and ground offensive, sparked by Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack into Israel, has displaced most of the 2 million Palestinians in Gaza and pushed the territory toward famine.
The United Nations said that across Gaza, more than 5,000 children were diagnosed with malnutrition in May, though that is likely an undercount. Malnutrition was virtually nonexistent before the war. Doctors struggle to treat the children because many supplies have run out, the UN says.
Israel denies that a famine is taking place or that children are starving. It says it has supplied enough food throughout the war and accuses Hamas of causing shortages by stealing aid and trying to control food distribution.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
'Theres pressure on celebrities to speak against Israel': Gal Gadot explains why Snow White flopped at box office
Washington, DC [US], August 17 (ANI): 'Wonder Woman' actress Gal Gadot shared her perspective on why Disney's live-action 'Snow White' remake underperformed at the box office, reported Variety. During a recent appearance on the Israeli TV program 'The A Talks,' as quoted by Variety, Gadot said 'Snow White's' poor box office performance was partially because of "pressure" in Hollywood to "speak against Israel" amid the ongoing conflict with Palestine. Gal Gadot was born in Israel. "You know, this happens a lot in various industries, including Hollywood. There's pressure on celebrities to speak against Israel. And, you know, it happened," said Gal Gadot as quoted by Variety. She continued, "I can always explain and try to give context about what's happening here. And I always do that. But in the end, people make their own decisions. And I was disappointed that the movie was incredibly affected by all of that and that it didn't do well at the box office. But that's how it goes. You win some, you lose some," as quoted by Gal Gadot. Alongside Gadot, the film starred Rachel Zegler as the titular Disney princess, Andrew Burnap as the Prince Charming stand-in Jonathan, Patrick Page as the Magic Mirror and Ansu Kabia as the Huntsman. According to Deadline, Gadot served in the Israeli Defence Forces for two years as part of her mandatory conscription, during which she participated in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war. Lebanon cited her service as the reason for banning Wonder Woman upon its 2017 release, The Washington Post reported at the time. Meanwhile, Zegler has been a vocal supporter of Palestine and Gaza, which reportedly did not go over well with Snow White producer Marc Platt amid promotion of the film, reported Deadline. (ANI)
Mint
3 hours ago
- Mint
‘Tehran' review: Action film addresses the ethical complexities of espionage
In Tehran, director Arun Gopalan adapts the high-stakes geopolitics of 2012 into a tense espionage drama. The film's premise is rooted in a real incident: the February 2012 bomb attack near the Israeli Embassy in Delhi, part of a coordinated series of assaults on Israeli diplomats in Georgia, Thailand, and India. Based on a story written by Bindi Karia, with screenplay and dialogues by Karia and Ritesh Shah, the film uses that flashpoint as the launchpad for a fictional covert mission that spans continents and moral boundaries. At the heart of the narrative is ACP Rajiv Kumar, known as RK (John Abraham), a Delhi police officer described as obsessive by nature and a loose cannon. At the start of the film, RK is focussed on bringing down the Makwana gang, which has threatened his family. But after the bombing of the Israeli diplomat's car, RK is assigned to investigate the attack. The deadly car-bombing sequence—executed with emotional, dramatic and cinematic intensity—sets off RK's vendetta. As the mission stretches from Delhi to Georgia, the UK, Abu Dhabi, and finally to Tehran, it becomes clear that this is not just a spy game—it's about the messy entanglements of global politics, energy deals, and fractured alliances. The screenplay smartly incorporates geopolitics: where Israel provides valuable technology to India, Iran is a key oil supplier. But an imminent oil deal between Iran and India is at risk if RK is not stopped in time. RK is chasing Iranian operative Afshar Hosseini (Hadi Khanjanpour), who is directly tied to the Delhi bombing. The stakes are more than personal, and RK finds himself trapped in the age-old logic of covert warfare. As he says, 'You kill theirs, they kill yours. No one is clean here.' John Abraham lives the part, delivering a performance that balances focus and motivation with sensitivity and thought. When RK defies both departmental and government orders to infiltrate Tehran, the film briefly picks up pace and urgency. Dinker Sharma's Vijay, RK's colleague, deserves special mention. The cast also includes Alyy Khan as DCP Neeraj of the Special Cell and Neeru Bajwa as R&AW officer Sheilaja, Manushi Chhillar is cast as S.I. Divya Rana, an underwritten and underutilised agent, Quashik Mukherjee plays agency head Mr. Himadri and Madhurima Tuli as RK's wife. From a production standpoint, Tehran excels in world-building, aided by Ievgen Gubrebko and Andre Menezes' cinematography and Bishwadeep Dipak Chatterjee's sound design, lending weight to action set-pieces and political exchanges alike. The casting of Iranian and Israeli characters feels authentic, and the film benefits from being shot in the UK and India. However, while the film starts briskly and builds steadily, and the second act expands the moral stakes, the third act—when events should escalate—slackens. A late-film car chase and gunfight is oddly scored with an ill-fitting song, draining tension from what should be a pulse-pounding moment. The reduced urgency means the climax doesn't hit as hard as its setup promises. Tehran is an ambitious political thriller with credible world-building that doesn't simplify geopolitical realities into easy heroes and villains. If one is able to overlook the few flaws, Gopalan's film is occasionally gripping, offering an un-bombastic take on patriotism while acknowledging the complicated, transactional nature of international alliances and the ethical complexities of espionage.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Gal Gadot talks about career and ‘Snow White' movie flop: Says ‘you win some, you lose some…'
Gal Gadot has become a famed and prolific actress in Hollywood and has worked alongside some big names such as Dwayne Johnson , Armie Hammer , Letitia Wright , and many more. One of her latest movies, which many had expected a lot from, however, ended up flopping. 'Snow White' became one of her less successful works. The actress recently opened up about the project and even shut down rumors of a falling out with fellow co-stars as well. Gal Gadot shares why she thinks 'Snow White' didn't succeed Gal Gadot recently got open and candid about her career in the Hollywood industry and even addressed her commercial flop, 'Snow White'. During an interview on a popular Israeli talk show, 'The A Talks', she cited that the happenings of the October 7 attack on the Nova Music Festival played a major role in the movie not doing well commercially. She shared that while she wants to tell the truth about everything that happens in Israel, people's opinions were massively affected. She added, 'I can always explain and try to give people in the world context about the situation and the reality in Israel, and I always do that. But at the end, people make up their own minds'. Not only that, but the 'Wonder Woman' actress also shared that at the time, a lot of celebrities and all kinds of public figures were 'expected' to post against Israel, which also affected the film's overall performance. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Could This NEW Collagen Blend Finally Reduce Your Cellulite? Vitauthority Learn More Undo Gal Gadot on falling out with Rachel Zegler Many rumors had been circulating online about how Gadot and her fellow co-star from 'Snow White' had a falling out. Setting the record straight, the actress talked about how much she enjoyed working on the film, especially alongside Zegler. She stated, 'Even working alongside Rachel Zegler, we laughed and we talked, we had fun. I was positive the movie was going to be a huge hit'. "Get the latest news updates on Times of India, including reviews of the movie Coolie and War 2 ."
