Angelina Jolie has has termed Israeli air strikes in Gaza ‘deliberate bombing of a trapped population’. The actor, who is known for her humanitarian work worldwide, posted a long statement on Instagram on Wednesday along with photo showing devastation from a recent deadly airstrike at Gaza’s largest refugee camp Jabalia. She also slammed Israel and its allies for dismissing persistent calls for a ceasefire from across the world. Also read: Swara Bhasker says people’s shock and horror at Hamas’ attacks on Israel ‘seem a bit hypocritical’
‘Whole families are being murdered’
In the caption of her latest Instagram post, Angelina began by writing, “This is the deliberate bombing of a trapped population who have nowhere to flee. Gaza has been an open-air prison for nearly two decades and is fast becoming a mass grave. 40 percent of those killed are innocent children. Whole families are being murdered.”
Angelina slams leaders for giving Israel a free pass
Angelina then addressed the international community, condemning the unfolding atrocities against ‘millions of Palestinian civilians’. She wrote, “While the world watches and with the active support of many governments, millions of Palestinian civilians – children, women, families – are being collectively punished and dehumanized, all while being deprived food, medicine and humanitarian aid against international law. By refusing to demand a humanitarian ceasefire and blocking the UN Security Council from imposing one on both parties, world leaders are complicit in these crimes.”
Angelina shares details of Jabalia refugee camp
The actor shared a picture of Jabalia devastated in the aftermath of Israel’s airstrike, followed by a brief description of the refugee camp by UNRWA, UN agency of relief for Palestinian refugees. It read, “Jabalia refugee camp is the largest of the Gaza Strip’s eight refugee camps. After the 1948 war, refugees settled in the camp, most having fled from villages in southern Palestine. The camp covers an area of only 1.4 square kilometres. 116,011 Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Jabalia camp alone, 75 years since the 1948 conflict.”
In an earlier post, Angelina had said that Hamas’s terrorist attacks in Israel ‘cannot justify the innocent lives lost’ in Gaza. Many celebs, such as Gal Gadot, Justin Bieber, Swara Bhasker and Dwayne Johnson, have also taken to social media to share their take on the events of October 7, when an armed conflict erupted between Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups and the Israeli military. The attack began with a coordinated surprise attack by Hamas across Israeli towns and cities. Israel formally declared war on Hamas after the attack.