‘Fear is not an option’: Bella Hadid speaks out on Palestine genocide

Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid has broken her silence to speak out against Palestinian genocide. Currently, the death toll has reached 7500, with 3000 of them being children.

Bella apologised for her silence for the past two weeks, and spoke about the threats she was given to remain silent: “I’ve been sent hundreds of death threats daily, my phone number leaked and my family has felt to be in danger. But I can not be silenced any longer. Fear is not an option. The people and children of Palestine, especially in Gaza, cannot afford our silence. We are not brave- they are.”

Gigi, Bella and her family were targeted with threats because of their outspoken support for Palestine. The family members recieved threats on emails, phone calls which gave graphic descriptions of how they would be murdered.

READ MORE: Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid are receiving death threats, phone numbers doxed after Palestine support

Bella wrote her heart is bleeding on the bloodshed and violence Gaza has witnessed in these past two weeks, when hospitals, mosques and bakeries were bombed by Israeli airstrikes.

“My heart is bleeding with pain from the trauma I am seeing unfold, as well as the generational trauma of my Palestinian blood. Seeing the aftermath from the airstrikes in Gaza, I mourn with all the mothers who have lost children, and the children who cry alone, all the lost fathers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunties, friends that will never again walk this earth.”

Bella reflected on the history of her father, Mohammad Hadid, who was a survivor of the 1948 Nakba when Israeli forces expelled 750,000 people from Palestine.

“My father was born in Nazareth in the year of the Nakba (the displacement of 750,000 Palestinians in 1948.) Nine days after he was born, he, in his mother’s arms, along with his family were expelled from their home in Palestine, becoming refugees, away from a place they once called home. My grandparents, never being allowed to return. My famiyl witnessed 75 years of violence against Palestinian people- most notably, brutal settle invasions which led to the destruction of entire communities, murder in cold blood and the forcible removal of families from their homes. The practice of settlements on Palestinian land still continues to this day. The pain of that is unimaginable.”

READ MORE: There is a painful history behind why supermodels Gigi, Bella Hadid support the Palestinian cause

Bella urged her followers to be aware of the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to keep pressurising governments to listen to the needs of Palestinians:

“There is an urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza that must be attended to. Families need access to water and food. Hospitals need fuel to power generators, tend to the wounded and keep people alive. Wars have laws – and they must be upheld, no matter what. We need to keep pressure on our leaders, wherever they are, not to forget the urgent needs of the people of Gaza, and to ensure that innocent Palestinian civilians are not the forgotten casualties of war,”

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