Born to a Palestinian father, supermodel siblings Bella and Gigi Hadid have often spoken of the pride they have for their heritage.
So when the Israel-Gaza war began, fans looked their way to hear what they had to say about the tragic events unfolding.
Both sisters initially remained silent on the subject, but Gigi, who is usually the more reserved of the two when it comes to public statements, was the first to broach it. She shared an infographic with her 79 million Instagram followers on October 11.
“My thoughts are with all those affected by this unjustifiable tragedy, and every day innocent lives are taken by this conflict – too many of which are children,” she wrote.
“I have deep empathy and heartbreak for the Palestinian struggle and life under occupation, it’s a responsibility I hold daily. 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 includes the harm of a Jewish person.”
The model went on to explain how she condemns the terrorising of innocent people, Palestinian or Israeli, in her post, which currently has more than two million likes.
Gigi later shared a follow-up, saying: “There is nothing Jewish about the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinians. Condemning the Israeli government is not anti-Semitic and supporting Palestinians is not supporting Hamas.”
Gigi’s post prompted a response from the Israeli government.
Reposting her statement, the State of Israel's Instagram account shared: “Have you been sleeping the past week? Or are you just fine turning a blind eye to Jewish babies being butchered in their homes? Your silence has been very clear about where you stand. We see you.”
The post attracted international media attention and, according to reports, led to Gigi and her family receiving death threats.
Gigi’s sister Bella, who has been vocal about supporting her father Mohamed Hadid’s homeland over the years, broke her silence on October 27.
Sharing a video by Palestinian-Canadian singer Nemahsis with her 61 million Instagram followers, she explained how Palestinians have had to live with war throughout their lives.
“Forgive me for my silence. I have yet to find the ideal words for this deeply intricate and horrific past two weeks, weeks that have turned the world's attention back towards a situation that has been taking innocent lives and affecting families for decades,” she wrote.
Explaining the pain she was feeling about the trauma unfolding in Gaza, she added: “I mourn with all the mothers who have lost children and the children who cry alone, all the lost fathers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunties and friends who will never again walk this earth.”
“This is the most intense bombardment in the history of Gaza. US White House National Security Council dangerously says Israel 'owes no one any justification' and that it will have 'no red lines'. Innocent lives should always be justified in the name of humanity,” Bella wrote in a follow-up post.
“Israel has completely shut off telecommunications and electricity across Gaza. Injured civilians currently can’t call ambulances. Medics are begging reporters to let them know where bombardments are happening, but reporters don’t know either because of the internet outage. The people of Gaza have nowhere to go. Children are dying. Please. #ceasefirenow.”
She also shared an open letter addressed to US President Joe Biden by Artists4Ceasefire, a collective of celebrities calling for an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza.
But Bella has been outspoken on the subject before – two of the pinned posts on her Instagram account are linked to the oppression of the Palestinian people.
In the first pinned post, she shares a photo of someone holding a sign with a quote attributed to her: “It's Free Palestine til' Palestine is free”.
In the accompanying caption, she writes: “I won’t stop talking about the systematic oppression, pain and humility that Palestinians face on a regular basis. With only love in my heart and an open mind to educate myself and learn more every day.”
Her second pinned post is a video explaining the Nakba when, in 1948, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced to leave their homes and hundreds of villages were destroyed.
“Thinking of my father today. Crying tears for him. Thinking of all the Nakba survivors, now refugees. Our elders who are still not allowed to return to their homeland. I’m holding Palestine in my heart today,” she writes in the post, shared on Nakba Day on May 15, 2022.
Bella has come under fire for her stance on Palestine. But the supermodel seems unfazed.
On Sunday, she posted a photo with the words “Palestine” written in the colours of the Palestinian flag. The post has been liked more than 1.6 million times.
