Steve Coogan defends pro-Palestinian open letter, condemns Hamas attacks

nme.com:

Steve Coogan has defended his decision to sign an open letter calling for a ceasefire in Gaza amid the current Israel-Hamas conflict, while also condemning the “horrific” Hamas attacks.Coogan was among over 2,000 names from the arts world who signed the letter.

Tilda Swinton, Massive Attack‘s Robert Del Naja and Miriam Margoyles are also among the signees.The letter condemns various governments for “not only tolerating war crimes but aiding and abetting them” amid the current conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, as well as “every act of violence against civilians and every infringement of international law whoever perpetrates them”.Citing Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant’s depiction of Palestinians as “human animals”, the letter goes on to argue that Palestinians “have become people to whom almost anything can be done”.However, some have criticised the letter for not openly condemning the actions of Hamas, who reignited tensions between Israel and Palestine when it launched its biggest ever attack on Israel on October 7, killing over 1,000 people.In response, Israel imposed a “total siege” on Gaza, threatening to cut off electricity, fuel and supplies of food and water.

Over a million people have been forced to flee their homes in the Gaza Strip as a result, and rights groups have cautioned that this could be classified as a war crime if carried out.Now, Coogan has released a statement to the PA news agency in which he condemned the Hamas attacks. “I just want to make sure that is correct, and I do of course condemn the recent Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel; their deliberate murder of civilians and their taking of hostages.