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2024-06-02 16:38:05

Hadid sisters donate a million dollars to support conflict-affected Palestinian families

Online Desk

Hadid sisters donate a million dollars to support conflict-affected Palestinian families

Bella Hadid and her sister Gigi are collectively donating one million dollars (£785,000) to support relief efforts in Palestine, the model's agent has confirmed.

A representative for Bella told the PA news agency the money has been earmarked for equal distribution among four humanitarian organisations that have a focus on children and families: Heal Palestine, Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF), World Central Kitchen (WCK), and United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), reports Daily Mail.

The pair, whose father is Palestinian property tycoon Mohamed Anwar Hadid, have been vocal in their support for the people of Palestine amid the conflict in Gaza. 

After Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, Gigi, 29, who has modelled for design houses including Versace and Chanel and co-hosts Netflix's Next In Fashion reality competition, wrote on Instagram: 'My thoughts are with all those affected by this unjustifiable tragedy, and every day that innocent lives are taken by this conflict - too many of which are children.

'I have deep empathy and heartbreak for the Palestinian struggle and life under occupation, it's a responsibility I hold daily.'

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

It comes as thousands of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday to demand the government accept the ceasefire and hostage release deal outlined by US President Joe Biden, with many fearing his proposal would be disowned.

Israeli and US flags dotted the crowd in the central plaza they have dubbed Hostages Square, alongside banners urging: 'Bring them home!'

The US president said on Friday that Israel was offering a new three-stage roadmap towards a full ceasefire, including the release of hostages held by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.

Demonstrators told AFP they were worried that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would disown the deal.

In May, Bella, 27, who was named model of the year by the British Fashion Council in 2022 and has 29 international Vogue covers, wrote on social media that she was 'devastated at the loss of the Palestinian people and the lack of empathy coming from the government systems worldwide'.

At the Cannes film festival last month she wore a red and white dress made of keffiyeh, a traditional Arabic cloth that is associated with Palestine.

She wrote on Instagram that is was 'a beautiful way to represent the history, labor of love, resilience and, most importantly, the art of historic Palestinian embroidery'.

Their real estate mogul father has called president Joe Biden a 'Zionist war criminal' who will be 'hunted down like the nazis' in an Instagram post.

In a different message, the millionaire wrote: 'We don't need to ask for a ceasefire. We are indigenous to the land. We demand an end to the occupation and an end to colonialism.'

Hadid has previously stepped in to defend his model daughters, who are outspoken about their support for Palestine.

He said: 'My kids always have followed their intuition when it comes to human torture and human nature - what happens to humans on earth. 

'From the disaster in Turkey to the famine in Africa and homelessness in Southeast Asia, they have been involved in these things, building schools for UNICEF and so on.

'It's always been a humanitarian issue in their blood, nothing to do with being Palestinian.'

Bd pratidin English/Lutful Hoque

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