Everything Gigi and Bella Hadid Have Said on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

A number of celebrities have spoken out about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7.

Fans of supermodel sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid are wondering what they think about the events of the past few days. They are the daughters of Mohamed Hadid, a Palestinian American real estate developer.

He was born in Nazareth during the Arab-Israeli War of 1948. His family fled their home when he was a baby, becoming refugees in Syria. They settled in the U.S. when Mohamed was a teenager.

Here's everything Gigi and Bella Hadid have said about the long-running conflict.

'An Unjustifiable Tragedy.'

Gigi Hadid issued a statement on the attack on October 10 describing it as an "unjustifiable tragedy."

The 28-year-old, who has a young daughter, posted on Instagram: "My thoughts are with all those affected by the unjustifiable tragedy, and every day that innocent lives are taken by this conflict—too many of which are children."

She went on: "While I have hopes and dreams for Palestinians, none of them include the harm of a Jewish person.

"The terrorizing of innocent people is not in alignment with & does not do any good for the 'Free Palestine' movement. The idea that it does has fueled a painful, decades-long cycle of back&forth retaliation."

She said that "no innocent civilian, Palestinian or Israeli, deserves to be a casualty" of this violence.

More than 1,000 people in Israel and 900 people in Gaza have been killed since Saturday, according to the Associated Press.

'Generational Trauma'

On October 27, Bella Hadid broke her silence on Instagram, telling followers that she had refrained from commenting until she could adequately describe her thoughts on the matter.

"Forgive me for my silence," she wrote. "I have yet to find the ideal words for this deeply intricate and horrific past 2 weeks, weeks that have turned the world's attention back towards a situation that has been taking innocent lives and affecting families for decades."

The 27-year-old runway star described the conflict as "generational trauma" for Palestinians and expressed sympathy for victims on both sides of the war.

"Harming women and children and inflicting terror does not and should not do any good for the Free Palestine movement," she said.

"I believe deep in my heart that no child, no people anywhere, should be taken away from their family either temporarily or indefinitely. That goes for Israeli or Palestinian people alike."

Explaining that she'd received hundreds of death threats and that her phone number had been leaked as a result of her previous support for Palestinians, Hadid said: "It is important to understand the hardship of what it is to be Palestinian, in a world that sees us as nothing more than terrorists resisting peace."

"It is harmful, it is shameful, and it is categorically untrue," she continued. "There is an urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza that must be attended to. Wars have laws—and they must be upheld, no matter what."

'I Will Never Allow Anyone To Forget About Our Beautiful Palestine'

There was speculation on social media that Bella Hadid was responsible for her friend Kylie Jenner deleting a pro-Israel Instagram story on October 7.

After news of the Hamas attack broke, Jenner shared a graphic by pro-Israel group StandWithUs to her Stories, along with the caption: "SHARE if you stand with the people of Israel as they face one of the most frightening situations in many years."

Jenner deleted the post soon after, with fans on social media suggesting she didn't want to offend her pal Bella.

In a 2022 interview with The Cut, Bella Hadid said she had been reluctant in the past to speak about her support for the Palestinian cause. She had educated herself on the issue, however, and felt strongly about it, she added.

In June 2022, she posted on Instagram: "I will never allow anyone to forget about our beautiful Palestine, or our beautiful people."

Bella Hadid also told her followers: "Everyday I wish I could go back in time, to when I was a child, so that I could start fighting for Palestine sooner.

"For my family, for my elders, our history and for the people of Palestine still living, now, through this treacherous, exhausting and painful occupation."

These comments now appear to have been removed from her Instagram account, but they were widely reported at the time.

'I Am Only Pro-Coexistence'

In May 2018, dozens of Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops during a protest near the Gaza border. The demonstration followed the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel, when Palestinians mark Nakba Day (nakba is Arabic for "catastrophe").

Gigi Hadid shared articles about the killings and a cousin's posts about her family's history on her Twitter account, which is no longer active.

According to news reports at the time, she wrote: "I've said it before and I'll say it again. For me, this is not about religion or one against the other—it's about the greed."

This comment led to accusations of antisemitism, but the model replied: "My intent is never to further separate groups in hatred—I live my life loving everyone regardless of religion/race.

"So I will say again for the last time, I'm not anti-anyone. I am only pro-coexistence. That is all. #freepalestine."

In 2021, after Palestinian families in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah were threatened with eviction, Gigi Hadid shared a series of Stories on Instagram to convey her anger.

This included a graphic that read "You will not erase Palestine," as well as comments by writer and activist Noor Tagouri.

In the post reshared by Gigi Hadid, Tagouri wrote: "We should all unequivocally agree that suddenly being kicked out of your family home, the homes you've built lives in, by a military state, is criminal and inhumane.

"It has never been a religion thing. The story sounds better that way. This is a political thing. One that deserves resolution for both Palestinians and Israelis."

'So Many Companies Stopped Working With Me'

After Bella Hadid attended a pro-Palestinian protest in New York City in May 2021, she and her sister, along with singer Dua Lipa—who was dating their brother Anwar Hadid at the time—were the focus of a controversial advertisement in The New York Times.

Placed by the World Values Network, an organization that says it teaches and explores "traditional Jewish values," the ad linked the stars to Hamas with the caption: "Hamas calls for a second Holocaust. Condemn them now."

Bella Hadid's appearance at the march led to calls for Dior to drop her from its campaigns, which the brand ignored.

However, during an appearance on Tagouri's Rep podcast in August 2022, Bella Hadid said her pro-Palestinian stance had cost her modeling jobs and brand partnerships in the past, as well as friendships.

"I had so many companies that stopped working with me," she said. "I have friends that completely dropped me."

'What We Stand for Is NOT Hatred or Violence'

Bella Hadid has also publicly condemned antisemitism.

In October 2022, after Kanye West's notorious comment about going "death con 3" on Jewish people, she shared a statement on Instagram.

The model did not name the rapper, but wrote: "To allow any form of anti-semitism to slip by, as desensitized as the world has become, it would be a disservice to my friends, the families I have grown up with, the people I love and work with, myself, and even the Palestinian cause as a whole," she wrote.

"Because what we stand for is NOT hatred or violence."

Gigi Hadid also criticized West when a row broke out about his "White Lives Matter" T-shirts.

Newsweek has reached out to Bella and Gigi Hadid for comment via email.

Update 11/16/23, 7 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include Bella Hadid's Instagram statement on the Israel-Hamas conflict.