On October 7th, Hamas fighters attacked Israel from the Gaza Strip. Israel’s Foreign Ministry has cited the official number of people killed by Hamas militants to “around 1,200”; about 240 people were held hostage by Hamas thereafter.
Since October 7th, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 13,300 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. Of that number, according to Palestinian officials 5,500 were children.
In the time from October 7th to the present, the war has only gotten worse. In response, many celebrities have taken to using their platforms to promote peace in the Gaza strip. However, celebrities have found themselves divided on the methods in which peace will come.
Hundreds of celebrities, including Amy Schumer, Noah Schnapp, Katy Perry, and Justin Timberlake, have signed a letter addressed to President Biden, with the tag “No Hostage Left Behind.” The letter, written on October 23rd, states the relief these celebrities feel that two American and two Israeli hostages have been released. Yet their “relief is tempered” with the knowledge that there are 220 more hostages still in captivity.
The letter then goes on to thank Biden for his “unshakable moral conviction, leadership, and support for the Jewish people.” The letter expresses its hope that the Israeli and Palestinian people can live “side by side in peace.” It urges, above all else, for no one to rest until all hostages are released; the letter ends with the statement “we need to bring them home.”
The full letter and the list of celebrities who have signed it can be found at NoHostageLeftBehind.
Artisits4Ceasefire, another group of celebrities and artists including Andrew Garfield, America Ferrera, Drake, and Jenna Ortega, has published a letter addressed to President Biden as well. The letter, written on October 21st, begins with the statement of the group’s immense grief as they have witnessed the catastrophic loss of lives in both Israel and Palestine. They not only come together as artists and advocates, but as human beings; they state that the ever rising death toll is a number that “any person of conscience knows is catastrophic.”
The letter urges the Biden Administration, Congress, and all world leaders to call for a ceasefire: “an end to the bombing of Gaza, and the safe release of hostages.” It goes on to say that the group believes that the United States can play a “vital diplomatic role” in the ceasefire and the ending of Israeli and Palestinian suffering—“saving lives is a moral imperative”.
The horrific circumstances of the children and families in Gaza are detailed in the letter, stating that it is necessary that humanitarian aid reaches them. The group states they are motivated by an “unbending will to stand for our common humanity,” above all else is the desire to stop the bloodshed.
The letter rejoins in its final paragraph that “we refuse to tell future generations the story of our silence, that we stood by and did nothing.” The final sentence is emboldened, “History is watching.”
The group is supported by Oxfam America and ActionAid USA, two charities working to fight inequality and build an equitable and sustainable world. The group additionally backs UNICEF and Doctors Without Borders, who have supported similar priorities and humanitarian efforts during the current conflict.
The full letter, list of signatories, and steps on how to take action backing the call for ceasefire can be found at Artists4Ceasefire.
In the midst of this bloodshed, it has become progressively clear how important it is for people to use their platforms to take action and help promote peace.
