Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor, Rohit Sharma’s wife Ritika condemn Israel’s airstrike on Rafah. But why Boycott Bollywood is trending again?

The atrocities faced by the citizens in Rafah, a city in the Southern Gaza Strip have prompted even the most reticent Indian celebs to finally take a stand for Palestine. Here’s a list of A-listers who finally advocated for the plight of Gaza and her citizens who are being pulverised by Israeli airstrikes.

Bollywood Takes A Stand

Taking to Instagram Stories on Tuesday, ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ star Alia Bhatt shared a post by @themotherhoodhome which read, “All children deserve love. All children deserve safety. All children deserve peace. All children deserve life. And all mothers deserve to be able to give their children those things (red heart doodle).” Alia wrote in the caption, “#AllEyesOnRafah.”

Bhatt’s sister-in-law, superstar Kareena Kapoor Khan also extended support to Palestine. The ‘Crew’ star reposted a message from the official Instagram account of UNICEF on her Instagram Stories. The post, featuring Executive Director Catherine Russell, condemned the tragic killings of children and families in Rafah, labeling the act as "unconscionable." Similarly, actor Varun Dhawan shared the "All Eyes on Rafah" image circulating on social media via his Instagram Stories, joining the protest against Israel's recent attack.

‘Family Man’ star Samantha Ruth Prabhu also asked for a ceasefire in Gaza. Her post read, “This (Latest attack on Rafah) comes after the ICJ (International Court of Justice) ruled on Friday for Israel to 'immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah. There are no words for this horror. There is nowhere safe to go. It must stop. Ceasefire now.”

Bollywood stars faced intense trolling for being pro-Palestine on X. #BoycottBollywood trended on the social media platform.

Aside from actors, ace cricketer Rohit Sharma’s wife Ritika Sajdeh also made a post, supporting Palestinians in Gaza. However, she faced intense trolling on X. Netizens lambasted her for not taking a stand against the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits in the valley. The post was later deleted.

As reported by Reuters, survivors recounted that families were in the midst of preparing to sleep when the strike targeted the Tel Al-Sultan neighborhood. Thousands had sought shelter there after Israeli forces initiated a ground offensive in the eastern part of Rafah over two weeks ago.

In the aftermath of the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that a "tragic mistake" had occurred. “Despite our utmost efforts not to harm innocent civilians, last night,” Netanyahu said on Monday in an address to Israel’s parliament, “there was a tragic mistake. We are investigating the incident and will obtain a conclusion because this is our policy.” Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023, after militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on the former..” he said.