Celebrities who have recently called for a ceasefire in Gaza, from Greta Thunberg to Andrew Garfield

Over the past few weeks, a number of international figures have shown their support for Palestine

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg wearing a keffiyeh during a march to demand social and climate justice. EPA

More than a year has passed since the war in Gaza broke out, and the conflict is only escalating. The confirmed death toll stands at more than 42,000 people, but as many as 121,000 people are estimated to have died in the war, due to direct and indirect causes.

Over the past few weeks, a number of celebrities have shown their support for Palestine. John Legend and Andrew Garfield have made direct calls for a ceasefire, while other stars, such as Gustaf Skarsgard, have participated in protests.

Andrew Garfield

Andrew Garfield was explicit in his expression of solidarity last week. During his appearance on the podcast Happy Sad Confused on October 10, the actor was asked what kind of roles he wanted to take on. Garfield stressed that he would rather be highlighting “something that actually matters”.

“We should be putting our energy toward something that actually matters,” he said. “Maybe the lives of, I don’t know, Palestinians in Gaza right now. Maybe that’s where we put our hearts and our energy in, and anyone suffering, anyone oppressed, anyone that is suffering under the weight of the horrors of our world right now, anyone who doesn’t have a choice in living lives of dignity. That’s where our energy should be going right now.”

Garfield was among the cultural figures who signed the Artists4Ceasefire letter that urged US President Joe Biden to facilitate a ceasefire in Gaza.

Fernanda Castillo

Celebrated Mexican actress Fernanda Castillo has been using her social media platform to bring attention to the children that have been killed as a result of Israel’s attack on Gaza. The El Senor de los Cielos star has been consistently posting stories on her Instagram, highlighting the humanitarian crisis to her seven million followers.

On her Instagram story, she shared a video statement by Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda on Sunday, as well as footage showing parents grieving the children they have lost due to Israeli airstrikes. On Monday, she reposted a statement from British comedian Jen Brister and American writer Katherine W Bogen that reads: “It is not controversial to say that killing children is always, always wrong."

John Legend

John Legend addressed the conflict during an October 9 interview with Mehdi Hasan on the media platform Zeteo.

The singer said it was devastating to see how many children have been killed in the war in Gaza. He added it makes him “very frustrated at how we easily dehumanise certain people, based on where they live, the colour of their skin, their religion, whether they are allies with our country”.

Legend also said it was important that the US recognises it has a part to play in the conflict.

“I really think it revolves around the idea of accountability, and using our aid to Israel as leverage,” he said. “I don’t think we should be writing blank cheques to any country that we are allied with and that any kind of assistance we provide, any kind of weapons we send, should come with conditions. That’s a very sensible way to conduct foreign policy. We do it everywhere else, so let’s do it there too.”

Legend has been a longtime vocal supporter of the Palestinian people. In 2020, he appeared on The Intercept podcast, which was also hosted by Hasan, who described him as "one of the few celebrities – actual A-listers – who has linked the fight for human rights, civil liberties, the fight against detention and mass incarceration here at home in the US to what's been going on in the occupied Palestinian territories".

"Clearly it's wrong what is happening to the Palestinians, it's so obvious. Anyone who doesn't believe that is the case is being wilfully blind, I believe," Legend said on the podcast.

Javier Bardem

In 2014, Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem co-signed an open letter that condemned the Israeli bombing of Palestinians. Around that same time, he also published a statement on the Spanish newspaper El Diario, saying: "I cannot understand this barbarism, even more brutal and incomprehensible considering all of the horrible things the Jewish people have gone through in the past.”

Bardem faced significant backlash as a result, which led him to publish another statement, saying: “While I was critical of the Israeli military response, I have great respect for the people of Israel and deep compassion for their losses. I am now being labeled by some as anti-Semitic, as is my wife [Penelope Cruz] – which is the antithesis of who we are as human beings. We detest anti-Semitism as much as we detest the horrible and painful consequences of war.”

Bardem had since then been largely silent about the conflict in Gaza. However, as the war continues to escalate, the actor was driven to, yet again, call for peace. This time, while accepting an award at the San Sebastian Film Festival, which concluded on September 28. Bardem’s statement was measured, criticising Hamas’s attack on October 7, as well as the “massive punishment that the Palestinian population is enduring”.

Speaking to AP after the event, Bardem elaborated on his decision to speak out: “I believe that we can and must help bring peace. If we take a different approach, then we will get different results. “The security and prosperity of Israel and the health and future of a free Palestine will only be possible through a culture of peace, coexistence and respect.”

Gustaf Skarsgard

Swedish actor Gustaf Skarsgard called for a ceasefire in Gaza with a heartbreaking and evocative gesture. During a protest in Stockholm that marked the year anniversary of the war, the Vikings star took to the podium and read from a large black ledger the names of the children that have been killed in Gaza.

Skarsgard was among several people who read the names of the children killed. Although the protest event reportedly took 10 hours, running between 8am and 6pm, the full list of names was not read aloud completely.

Greta Thunberg

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg has been taking part in a string of rallies across Europe wearing a Keffiyeh. One of the most recent took place in Milan on October 11. More than 1,000 people participated in the protest, and Thunberg took the opportunity to point out that it was just as necessary to stand against the violence in Gaza as it was to fight for the planet's health.

“Silence is complicity,” Thunberg said in her speech, a keffiyeh draped over her shoulders. “You cannot be neutral in a genocide.”

“If you, as a climate activist don’t also fight for a free Palestine and an end to colonialism and oppression all over the world, then you should not be able to call yourself a climate activist,” she said. “You cannot claim to fight for climate justice if you ignore the suffering of all colonised and marginalised people today.”