‘We see you,’ Israel tells pro-Palestine supermodel

Gigi Hadid, whose father is Palestinian, said that offering support to the people of Palestine is not a sign of backing Hamas

The Israeli government has accused American model Gigi Hadid of “turning a blind eye” to the events that sparked a war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, after the 28-year-old posted a message of support for the Palestinian people on social media.

“There is nothing Jewish about the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinians,” Hadid, whose father Mohamed Hadid is Palestinian, wrote in a temporary Instagram Story over the weekend to her online following of almost 80 million people.

She added that “condemning the Israeli government is not antisemitic and supporting Palestinians is not supporting Hamas.”

Hadid’s message quickly drew a rebuke from Israel. “There is nothing valiant about Hamas’ massacre of Israelis,” a message on the official Instagram account of the state of Israel said, along with a screenshot of Hadid’s original post.

“Condemning Hamas for what it is (ISIS) is not anti-Palestine and supporting Israelis in their fight against barbaric terrorists is the right thing to do,” the Israeli account said. The message went on to pour scorn on Hadid’s post, accusing the model of “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,” it added.

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Last Wednesday, Hadid posted a separate message to say that her aspirations for peace between Palestinians and Israel do not “include the harm of a Jewish person.” She added that the “terrorizing of innocent people” in Israel does not boost the ‘Free Palestine’ movement.

Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, massacring around 1,400 people on Israeli soil, most of whom were civilians. The group also took as many as 250 hostages, according to Hamas statements. Israel says the number of captives is closer to 199.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government responded to the attack with an unprecedented bombardment of Gaza, showering the enclave with thousands of bombs in the ensuing days. The latest figures show that about 2,700 people have died in the air raids, which have devastated the densely-populated region’s infrastructure.

About one million people – roughly half of Gaza’s total population – have been displaced by Israel’s aerial assault, the UN has said. Israel is rumored to be planning a ground offensive in Gaza in the coming days.

Gigi Hadid and her sister Bella Hadid, who is also a model, have been vocal advocates for Palestinian rights for several years.