Spanish actress Penelope Cruz calls for ceasefire in Gaza in Instagram story

Renowned Spanish actress Penelope Cruz has shared a story on her Instagram account with the message "Ceasefire now".

Activists widely shared screenshots of this story, highlighting Cruz's support for Gaza and her explicit call for an immediate ceasefire by the Israeli army.

Cruz had previously come under fire for her support of Gaza during the 2014 Israeli war on Gaza, after she wrote a letter in the Spanish press condemning Israel’s aggression at that time.

The actress later "clarified" her position, saying that she only wished to promote peace in the region.

Penelope Cruz On her IG 🇵🇸✌🏼#CEASEFIRE_NOW#CeaseFirelnGazaNOW pic.twitter.com/bmqYD8Ffdm

— Mariana Salvatierra🌍🇹🇳🇵🇸✌🏼 (@EllaNnattawin) December 11, 2023

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, known for her humanitarian activism and her role as a special envoy for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), last month condemned Israel's military aggression in Gaza. She described Gaza as having been "an open-air prison for nearly two decades".

On Instagram, Jolie criticised "the deliberate bombing of a trapped population" in the densely populated Palestinian territory, expressing concern that Gaza might turn into "a mass grave." She criticised world leaders for their inaction and "complicity in these crimes," and called for a humanitarian ceasefire. 

Jolie’s comments followed Israel’s bombardment of the Jabalia refugee camp, which was targeted by Israeli airstrikes for two days in a row killing 195 people.

The death toll from two months of indiscriminate Israeli bombardment has now exceeded 18,200, with around 50,000 injured.

Other celebrities who have expressed support for Gaza include Gigi Hadid, Susan Sarandon, Dua Lipa, and others.

In the UK, Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman, 'Bridgerton' star Nicola Coughlan, and film director Ken Loach signed a letter at the end of last month that accused the arts and culture industry of complicity in silencing Palestinian voices amid Israel’s war on Gaza.

Multiple petitions and calls for a ceasefire have been signed by artists to call for an end to Israeli violence against Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the West Bank.