Actor Javier Bardem slams Israel's 'war crimes' in Gaza at San Sebastian Film Festival

Spanish actor Javier Bardem has criticised the Israeli government, accusing it of committing "crimes against humanity" in Gaza amid the ongoing military offensive. 

Addressing reporters at the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain, the Oscar winner called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and condemned Israel’s actions, which has continued air strikes on Gaza since October 7. 

Bardem was a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the country’s most prestigious film festival when he called on the international community to take stronger action in holding governments accountable. 

"What is happening in Gaza is totally unacceptable; it is terrible and dehumanising," he said. 

"I believe this Israeli government is the most radical that Israel has ever had," he continued, adding that it "is committing crimes against humanity and violating international law."

Bardem added: "Obviously, the atrocious, terrible, and condemnable attacks of Hamas on October 7th, do not justify this massive punishment that the Palestinian population is suffering," 

Bardem, who has starred in blockbusters such as Dune and Skyfall, additionally denounced the "unconditional support" Israel receives from certain nations. 

 "The impunity that the current Israeli government enjoys in its actions in Gaza and the West Bank has to change," he emphasised. 

He specifically called out the United States, Germany, and the UK, urging them to reconsider their unwavering support in light of human rights violations. 

"We are witnessing crimes of international law, such as blocking access to food, water, medicine, and electricity. As UNICEF says, this is a war against children, and the trauma it is causing will affect generations," Bardem warned. 

"What I say or don’t say won’t change anything, but I believe society is starting to understand that legitimate criticism of any government is not the same as the false accusation of anti-Semitism," he added.

Bardem, a longstanding pro-Palestine advocate, had previously undergone backlash by pro-Israel critics in 2014 after signing an open letter condemning Israel's bombing campaigns in Gaza, alongside wife and fellow Oscar winner Penelope Cruz. 

The war on Gaza, now reaching its 12th month, has been widely condemned by various other renowned figures in the film industry, by calling for an urgent end to the conflict. 

Two weeks prior, US film director Sarah Friedland also amplified Gaza at another major film festival, the Venice Film Festival, after winning an award. 

Similar to Javier Bardem, the Jewish American filmmaker took the stage to express her solidarity with Palestinians and to condemn Israel's military onslaught on the besieged Gaza enclave. 

Israel's military has flattened large parts of the Palestinian enclave, displacing nearly all of its 2.3 million residents.

This has led to widespread hunger, disease, and the deaths of over 41,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.