Billie Eilish Condemns Israel Defense Minister's Plan to Forcibly Relocate Palestinians: ‘Horrifying'
In a series of posts on her Instagram Story, the pop star called attention to a news clip of Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz's recent announcement that Israel plans to move displaced Palestinians — starting with about 600,000 civilians — into a 'humanitarian city' built on the ruins of Rafah. According to CNN, Katz's long-term goal is to eventually relocate the entire Palestinian population of Gaza (about 2 million people) to the southern territory, where no one would be allowed to leave.
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Eilish summarized her thoughts on the proposal with one word: 'horrifying.'
The development comes as Israel's war against Hamas approaches the two-year mark. The conflict first began on Oct. 7, 2023, when the terrorist group killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 more as hostages; more than 55,000 Palestinians have since died in Israel's retaliation efforts, according to Reuters.
Eilish previously expressed her desire for the violence to end by wearing an 'Artists for Ceasefire' pin at the 2024 Oscars, and on Wednesday, she also reshared a video of an activist delivering clean water to refugees along the coast of Gaza. 'thank you to all the heroes out there,' she wrote on her Story.
In addition to speaking out about what's happening in the Middle East, the Grammy winner also reshared a video of Homeland Security agents in military gear storming MacArthur Park, where many children belonging to one of L.A.'s biggest immigrant populations often play, according to The New York Times. The operation follows the widely criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids on the city in June.
Eilish also shared a more heartwarming post on her Story celebrating the bravery of Mexican firefighters who traveled to Texas amid the recent deadly floods, assisting with recovery efforts under orders from President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. The singer previously wrote a message of support to those affected by the natural disaster — in which more than 100 people have died — writing, 'this is so sad … sending love to Texas.'
Eilish has long been outspoken when it comes to her political beliefs and the causes she supports, from endorsing Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election to partnering with her mom, Maggie Baird, on environmental initiatives through Support + Feed.
The star's latest album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, dropped in May last year, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
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