Online Desk: Angelina Jolie is on the side of humanity, as she stated in a recent article on the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas.
On October 7, Hamas and the Israeli millitary engaged in air strikes, which has led to theatter bombarding the entire Gaza Strip, killing thousands of Palestinian civilians. While Israel describes it as a defensive measure against Hamas ‘terrorism’, Angelina Jolie contributed her two cents on the entire affair.
“Like millions around the world, I have spent the last week’s sick and angry at the terrorist attack in Israel, the death of so many innocent civilians, and wondering how best to help,” the Oscar-winning actress wrote on Instagram.
” I, too, am praying for the immediate and safe release of all hostages, as well as for the families who are dealing with the terrible grief of losing a loved one. Above all, the slain children and the numerous orphaned children,” read her post
“What happened in Israel is an act of terror,” the actress concluded. But that cannot explain the innocent lives wasted in bombing a civilian population in Gaza that has nowhere to go, no access to food or water, no chance of evacuation, and no basic human right to cross a border to seek sanctuary,” stated the actress.
“My focus is on people displaced by violence in any context,” she stated. Gaza is home to almost 2 million people (half of whom are children), who have been subjected to a brutal blockade for nearly two decades, on top of decades of displacement and statelessness. The few aid trucks that are entering are only a fraction of what is required (and were provided on a daily basis prior to the current conflict), and the bombings are creating severe new humanitarian needs on a daily basis. Denial of help, fuel, and water is collective punishment for a people. Humanity demands an immediate cessation of hostilities. Palestinian and Israeli lives, as well as the lives of all people worldwide, are equally important,” concluded her post.
Angelina Jolie is not the first celebrity to speak out about a humanitarian catastrophe. For than two decades, the actress has worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, advocating for forcibly displaced individuals all across the world. She began as a UN goodwill ambassador in 2001 and was promoted to special envoy in 2012. She resigned from her position with the UNHCR last year, stating that she wished to focus on a broader range of humanitarian and human rights issues.
Concerning the bigger situation, the border crossing between Egypt and Gaza only opened a week ago, allowing only a few trucks transporting relief into the enclave. Aid workers have described it as insufficient in light of the crisis at hand.
Meanwhile, Angelina Jolie has vowed to donate to medical aid efforts and has selected to support “Doctors Without Borders” work.