How about Hamas: Malala in the crossfire over petition demanding Israel halt its assault on children

It seems Malala Yousafzai remains to be caught in the crossfire, irrespective of any statement she puts out. On Wednesday, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate took to X to condemn the bombing of al-Ahli hospital. She held that "collective punishment” was not the answer while further pointing out that half of Gaza's population was under 18, therefore, it should not be forced to live under occupation.

The activist also pledged $300,000 to charities and urged the Israeli government to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. As a result, many X users called her out for “not condemning Israel openly,” even while requesting for donations.

Following the backlash, in a tweet early Friday, Malala shared a petition on X to insist, “Join me in adding your name to this petition demanding that Israel halt its assault on schools and places where children are seeking shelter, and that leaders reach a deal to release all children being unjustly held hostage or imprisoned.” Needless to say, the tone of comments on her post did not change.

While one user acknowledged, “It's about time Malala took action,” another called her “one of the most successful experiments of the USA!” One more accused her of "receiving aid from Isreal, USA." Moreover, Israel supporters from around the world have now begun calling her out for giving a “biased" statement. "How about Hamas?" a user asked.

A New York Sun writer commented, “Dear Malala, this is a malicious lie in service of the Islamist cartel that rules Gaza. Their ideology closely matches that of those who tried to kill you. You, of all people, should know better.”

Another held, “You cannot reason with terrorist. You of all people should know this!” One more insisted, “Write a petition demanding that Hamas stop firing rockets from schools and hospitals and maybe you’ll get a few more people to sign it.”

"What a biased statement Malala. Why only schools or places with children. In other words you are saying that it is okay to assault in other places," lamented another.

For the unversed

On Wednesday, Malala, in her tweet accompanied by a video, had written, “I’m horrified to see the bombing of al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza and unequivocally condemn it. I urge the Israeli government to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza and reiterate the call for a ceasefire. I am directing $300K to three charities helping Palestinian people under attack.”

Despite a few positive responses, the criticism kept piling on. Amidst the criticism, many who were already dismissive of the activist took to X to voice some rather nasty sentiments. Amongst all this, Malala also took to her Instagram Story to state, "I admire the bravery of young women who are showing the world what is happening in Gaza and speaking out for an end to violence. It's essential that we centre their voices and perspectives in our coverage and understanding of what's happening on the ground."

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