Jennifer Garner, Adam Sandler, Yara Shahidi and more celebrities shared heartfelt messages for innocent victims of the Israel–Hamas war amid increased violence taking place along the Gaza border since Saturday’s terrorist attack in Israel.
The messages poured in as media reports noted that a former leader of Hamas called on supporters of the Palestinian terrorist group to take to the streets for a “Day of Rage.” Following the reports, SAG-AFTRA canceled its Friday pickets planned for New York City and Los Angeles, citing “potential safety concerns that are unrelated to our ongoing strike.” The Academy Museum gala, which was set to welcome an A-list roster of talent this Saturday, was also postponed “out of respect for the devastating conflict and loss of life happening overseas.”
On Thursday, 700 major Hollywood figures signed an open letter in support of Israel, created by nonprofit Creative Community for Peace, condemning the attacks, requesting the return of hostages and calling on the entertainment community to refrain from sharing misinformation about the war. Gal Gadot, Jerry Seinfeld, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Pine, Mayim Bialik, Liev Schreiber, Amy Schumer and Michael Douglas were among the celebrities and execs who signed the letter.
Others in Hollywood have continued to speak out on social media. Garner posted a lengthy message Friday morning on her Instagram, where she focused on the children being affected by the war, which she said is “unbearable to see.”
“And yet we must bear witness,” she wrote. “We must stand with every mother and father holding their children in this darkness and pray for every parent separate from or, God forbid, unable to hold their child. The human toll of innocent Israeli and innocent Palestinian people is unthinkable to imagine and we know — children will be the most impacted.”
