Malala Yousafzai has taken to her social media to clarify her stance regarding her “support for the people of Gaza.” After facing immense global backlash for teaming up with Hillary Clinton for the Nobel Prize laureate’s Broadway debut as a co-producer, Malala has released an official statement.
“I wanted to speak today because I want there to be no confusion about my support for the people of Gaza,” began the young activist. “We have all watched the relentless atrocities against Palestinian people for more than six months now with anger and despair. This week’s news of mass graves discovered at Gaza’s Nasser and al-Shifa hospitals is yet another reminder of the horrors Palestinians are facing.”
She continued, “It is hard enough to watch from afar – l don’t know how Palestinians bear it in their bones. We do not need to see more dead bodies, bombed schools and starving children to understand that a ceasefire is urgent and necessary. I have and will continue to condemn the Israeli government for its violations of international law and war crimes, and I applaud efforts by those determined to hold them to account. Publicly and privately, I will keep calling on world leaders to push for a ceasefire and to ensure the delivery of urgent humanitarian aid.”
Malala furthered, “I stand against any form of violence against innocent civilians, including the taking of prisoners and hostages. And I stand in solidarity with the people in Gaza whose voices and demands must be heard. When we see alarming signs of genocide, we cannot wait to take decisive action. We must work together to urge our leaders to stop these war crimes and hold perpetrators to account.”
The statement comes after Malala was branded a “sell-out” by those active in the digital sphere. Her supporters felt betrayed by her teaming up with Hillary, with many highlighting that her pursuit of fame took precedence over her loyalty to her people.