Steve Coogan defends Gaza support letter and condemns 'brutal' Hamas attack
Steve Coogan and many other celebrities have signed a letter campaigning for humanitarian support in Gaza following Israel's response to Hamas' attack earlier this month.
The actor, who recently received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Jimmy Savile in BBC drama The Reckoning, Oscar winning actress Tilda Swinton, Game Of Thrones star Charles Dance, and Harry Potter actress Miriam Margolyes are also among the more than 2,000 artists to back the open call.
However, there has been a backlash by some who claim the letter should have condemned militant Palestinian group Hamas. Following the comments, actor Steve has issued a separate statement saying "what Hamas did is evil beyond imagination."
Miriam Margolyes is one of the famous stars to sign the letter by Artists For Palestine (Dave Hogan)
Steve Coogan has issued a lengthy statement following some criticism of the letter (Getty Images)In the statement released to the PA news agency on Sunday, the Alan Partridge actor said: "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.
"All right thinking people do. The Jewish people have been uniquely the target of hate and prejudice for millennia and anyone who cares about human rights should be vigilant and call it out when they encounter it. It goes without saying that what Hamas did is evil beyond imagination."
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He added: "It was horrific and brutal. It is in no way inconsistent with condemnation of the Hamas atrocity, to express grave concern for the lives and welfare of innocent Palestinian civilians facing a humanitarian disaster, deprived of food, water, medicine fuel and shelter."
The letter signed by the stars, written by Artists For Palestine UK, calls for "an immediate ceasefire and the opening of Gaza’s crossings to allow humanitarian aid to enter unhindered." It has also urged the signatories Governments to "end their military and political support for Israel’s actions".
"We are witnessing a crime and a catastrophe. Israel has reduced much of Gaza to rubble, and cut off the supply of water, power, food and medicine to 2.3 million Palestinians. In the words of the UN’s undersecretary for humanitarian affairs, ‘the spectre of death’ is hanging over the territory," an extract of the letter reads.
"Gaza is already a society of refugees and the children of refugees. Now, in their hundreds of thousands, bombarded from air, sea and land, Palestinians whose grandparents were forced out of their homes at the barrel of a gun are again being told to flee – or face collective punishment on an unimaginable scale. Dispossessed of rights, described by Israel’s minister of defence as “human animals”, they have become people to whom almost anything can be done."
In a statement shared on Twitter, which has been renamed X by owner Elon Musk, Outlander star Sam Heughan said he "inadvertently" signed the letter and it does not reflect his "beliefs". The actor added: "I believed it was a simple call for peace… It wasn’t.
"I condemn violence in any form. I stand against terrorism and evil and am heartbroken and appalled by the recent horrific actions by Hamas. It’s haunting to the core, my heart goes out to all affected. I don’t know nearly enough and (I am) trying to educate myself on the conflicts in the Middle East. I feel helpless and wish I could help in some way. I pray for compassion, for all the innocent people affected. Peace and love to you all. X."
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