Supermodel Bella Hadid has issued a statement regarding the devastating Israel-Palestine conflict.
Taking to Instagram, the 27-year-old model, who has Palestinian heritage through her father, Mohamed Hadid’s side, condemned the violence on both sides, telling fans, “We are one, and God has created all equal. All bloodshed, tears, and bodies should be mourned with the same respect.”
The model’s father was born in Palestine to a Muslim family, but they were forced to flee in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. After finding refuge in Syria for a short time, Mohamed and his family relocated and settled in the United States where he went on to have Bella, her sisters, Marielle, 43, Alana, 38, Gigi, 28, and their brother, Anwar, 24.
Bella has over the years spoken out numerous times about the suffering of Palestinian people, confessing in her post that her words have often left her family facing “death threats” and made them feel “in danger”, she wrote, “I cannot be silenced any longer. Fear is not an option. The people and children of Palestine, especially in Gaza, cannot afford our silence.”