The entertainment world has reacted to the news that a ceasefire has been reached between Israel and Palestine in Gaza.
Yesterday (January 15), US president Joe Biden confirmed the deal, which will take effect this Sunday (January 19) and will see the withdrawal of Israeli forces in Palestine, along with the release of all the remaining hostages. The United Nations also responded that the deal allows the ramping up of the delivery of aid to Palestinians, per BBC.
Model Bella Hadid, who is of Palestinian descent – and has continually advocated for an end to the war with sister Gigi – shared on Instagram Stories a clip of Palestinians celebrating the deal. “My heart is in pieces”, she wrote. “There’s just so much to say”.
Rapper Macklemore, who released the singles ‘Hind’s Hall’ and ‘Hind’s Hall 2’ in benefit of Palestinian aid, shared his elation on social media with a clip of children hearing the news. “Tears….CEASEFIRE!!! FREE PALESTINE”, he wrote.
Scream actress Melissa Barrera, who was dropped from the horror film franchise after sharing a social media post in support of Palestine, shared a string of emojis expressing her relief and excitement, adding: “Until liberation”.
Kehlani, while celebratory, acknowledged the anxieties around the ceasefire deal while calling it a part of “first steps”.
“I know we all feel still deeply incredibly worried and mistrusting of the regime and its potentials, but also rn, imma cry at all the Gazan joy and relief,” she wrote on Threads, “worth celebrating. deeply.”
Paloma Faith expanded on these sentiments, writing in an Instagram Story she’s “almost sad and scared about the ceasefire now”.
“It worries me what they will do before the ceasefire and the aftermath and trauma endured by all those families who have witnessed unspeakable things, been tortured, lost family members, all the orphaned children, the childless parents, the PTSD they will live with forever,” she wrote.
“No where to live, no where to go, a wasteland…. It’s unthinkable and unforgivable”.
Other artists also stood firm on the seriousness of the fatalities in Palestine, along with what the country still faces. Primal Scream shared an Instagram Story with a picture of wounded Palestinian children, writing that the deal is a “ceasefire in name only”.
Rap trio Kneecap tweeted that “we must not forget what Israel has done”.
“They need to be sanctioned and their leadership arrested and prosecuted,” they wrote. “They’ve murdered 100,000 people, mostly kids, and left Gaza as an unliveable wasteland.”
Reuters reported that, since the ceasefire was announced, airstrikes were intensified in Gaza by Israeli forces.
Over the last year, the conflict also drew criticism from the likes of Roger Waters – who attacked Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwod for their stance on the war – along with Massive Attack, Young Fathers, Brian Eno, and Fontaines D.C., some of whom, along with R.E.M, Bastille and others, read out letters from Palestinians suffering in Gaza as part of a ‘Voices For Gaza’ initiative in early 2024.
Fontaines D.C. have teamed up with Rosalía for their new collaboration, Where Is Gone?.
The song features on the Irish rock band's forthcoming album, Dopamine Chamber, which arrives on Friday (16.10.26). For guitarist Carlos O’Connell, working with the Spanish superstar is particularly special because of his own Spanish roots.
He explained: “I’ve admired Rosalía ever since her debut album, which I thought was absolutely beautiful.
“What excited me most was the way she continued to preserve Spain's musical traditions, something that felt spiritually connected to what we've been trying to achieve with Irish music. Having roots in both countries, it's been really special to witness. "She's an artist who has continued to amaze me at every point in her career.”
Frontman Grian Chatten has also described the collaboration with Rosalía as one of the most memorable achievements of his career.
He revealed that he felt "humbled" when she agreed to lend her voice to the band's album.
Speaking to NPR, Grian said: “I've always felt there's something almost like a single big idea that I'm personally trying to communicate to the world before I get old and die, if that makes sense. There's one thing I think I'll spend my life trying to express. I have a feeling she has a similar outlook. … I mean, she's an amazing arranger, composer and lyricist. It means so much that she wanted to sing on something we'd put together. It's definitely one of the highlights of my career.”
Rosalía's links to Irish rock music extend beyond Fontaines D.C. She also offered inspiration and helped develop the Spanish lyrics for U2's The Mirror Maker (Rosalía), a track from their forthcoming album, Carnaval de Luz.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week, she spoke about frontman Bono, saying: “I don't know him personally, but he sent me a text explaining that he was working on a new project and had written a song called The Mirror Maker."
Rosalía joked that Bono had invented a few words of his own.
She recalled telling him: “I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I told him he could create his own language if he wanted to.”
She described the opportunity to collaborate with the 66 year old music veteran as a real privilege.
She added: “Bono is a legend.
“It's amazing.”
Bono recently revealed that he was worried about seeming like a stalker when he reached out to Rosalía to ask whether he could name the song after her.
