The American actress and owner of the lifestyle brand "Goop" Gwyneth Paltrow shared a story on her official Instagram account addressing the families of the Israeli hostages who were announced murdered and retrieved to Israel for burial on Sunday.
"To the families of each hostage whose life was stolen, I have thought of you every day for 11 months, but today I send you my heart," the story read.
Ever since the horrific Hamas attack on Oct. 7, Paltrow has consistently used her platform to raise awareness about the hostage situation. In October, she joined other celebrities in calling for the immediate release of the hostages, sharing the hashtag "#NoHostageLeftBehind" and signing an open letter to President Joe Biden on the matter.
In a separate Instagram story, she highlighted the ongoing plight of female hostages, asking, "There are still 17 women being held by Hamas. Where are the feminists?" She accompanied this message with the hashtag "#rapeisnotresistance," drawing attention to the reports of sexual violence against the hostages and raising awareness of victim Shani Louk's story.
The retrieval of six Israeli hostages' bodies from Gaza on Sunday sparked widespread outrage on social media. Many users expressed frustration at the lack of global attention to the ongoing hostage crisis and recent tragedy, particularly noting the case of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American citizen whose parents recently spoke at the Democratic National Convention. Against this backdrop of public anger and calls for action, Paltrow's statement stands out as a high-profile acknowledgment of the situation. Her words offer a measure of public support that many have been seeking, especially given her consistent advocacy on this issue since October.
