Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
U2 has condemned the Israeli government for the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and has urged action to protect civilians.
In a lengthy statement penned by Bono and posted to U2’s Instagram account on Sunday, it states “blocking of humanitarian aid and now plans for a military takeover of Gaza City has taken the conflict into uncharted territory.
“We are not experts in the politics of the region, but we want our audience to know where we each stand.”
In Bono’s statement, he admitted he had circled around the issue of speaking out on Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Condemning the October 7, 2023 terror attack by Hamas on the Nova music festival in Gaza, he reiterated that he believes in Israel’s “right to exist” and a two-state solution.
Since Hamas’ attack on Israeli citizens at the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023 that killed over 1,100 people and saw 250 taken as hostages, multiple UN human-rights experts and UN bodies have stated that Israel’s military actions in Gaza may amount to genocide, and the International Court of Justice has found claims of genocide plausible.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 61,158 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023. Israel rejects the genocide accusations and denies committing any war crimes, maintaining that its operations are lawful acts of self-defence.
On Sunday, Bono wrote that he had felt he should focus on poverty and the humanitarian crisis occurring within Africa, and said that he felt countries like Sudan were overlooked in their suffering.
As Israel intensified its attack on Gaza, Bono said that he reminded himself of Hamas’s crimes that had preceded this. “I hoped Israel would return to reason,” he wrote. “I was making excuses for a people seared and shaped by the experience of the Holocaust which understood the threat of extermination is not simply a fear but a fact.”
He said that he understands that “Hamas are not the Palestinian people”, who have undergone oppression, occupation, and “the systemic stealing of the land that is rightfully theirs”.
He added that he can see the parallels between the historic occupation of Ireland and the occupation of Gaza: “It’s little wonder so many here in Ireland have campaigned for decades for justice for the Palestinian people.”
The U2 frontman said that the band condemns Netanyahu’s Israel government.
“We know Hamas are using starvation as a weapon in the war, but now so too is Israel and I feel revulsion for the moral failure. The Government of Israel is not the nation of Israel but the Government of Israel led by Benjamin Netanyahu today deserves our categorical and unequivocal condemnation.
“There is no justification for the brutality he and his far right government have inflicted on the Palestinian people…in Gaza…in the West Bank. And not just since October 7 – well before it too. Though the level of depravity and lawlessness we are seeing now feels like unchartered territory.”
After the October 2023 attack, Bono paid tribute to the victims while performing with U2 in Las Vegas.
Bono dedicated 1984’s ‘Pride (In the Name of Love)’ to the victims, while sharing his hopes for a non-violent solution to the conflict.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here
