Artist The Weeknd donates $2.5 million to Gaza residents

Canadian pop singer TheWeeknd has donated $2.5 million to civilians in Gaza via the United Nations food program, CNN reported on Saturday.

Abel McConnell Tesfaye, better known by his stage name TheWeeknd, donated the large sum to the humanitarian fund as Israel ramps up military activity in Gaza after the collapse of a temporary truce agreement.

The funds will provide approximately four million emergency meals, which will feed nearly 175,000 Palestinians for two weeks, according to the agency.

Celebrities take a stance

Celebrities have taken public stances on the Israel-Palestine conflict since the Jewish state began its war with Hamas following the October 7 terror attacks that left over 1,200 dead and 240 kidnapped. 

American models Bella and Gigi Hadid have also rallied against Israel, with Bella claiming that Israel is guilty of ​​"abduction, rape, humiliation, torture, murder of Palestinians” and "is the only country in the world that keeps children as prisoners of war."

Hamas famously abducted innocent children during the October 7 attacks, many of whom were returned amid Israel and Hamas’s prisoner exchange deal. 10-month-old Kfir and 4-year-old Ariel Bibas remain captives in Gaza, where international organizations and Hamas claim that they have failed to locate them.

Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters, himself a longtime critic of Israel, went as far as saying there was something “very fishy” about Hamas's October 7 attack on Israelis in a November interview.

While many celebrities have shown support for Palestinian civilians, some have lent support to Israel as it copes with the most devastating terror attacks and war in the country’s history.

Pop singer Beyonce invited Emily Hand, an Irish-Israeli 9-year-old who spent her 9th birthday in Hamas captivity after being kidnapped on October 7, to attend one of the concerts on her latest tour on Monday. Hand has been coping with the trauma brought on by her experiences since she was freed last week.

Kim Kardashian, TV personality, influencer, and ex-wife of Kanye West (Ye), posted a message of support for Jews and Israelis worldwide. 

“A message to my Jewish friends and family. I love you. I support you,” she wrote. “I have heard about how scared you feel during this time, and I want you to know you are not alone in this.”

NBA star LeBron James called the Hamas attacks on Israel “tragic and unacceptable” in a joint statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, with his business partner Maverick Carter in early October.