Justin Bieber recently faced backlash after he posted and subsequently deleted an Instagram Story relating to the ongoing Israel-Hamas situation. In the post, he stated that he was 'praying for Israel' and included an image from the war front. However, the image he used in the original story was of the destruction in Gaza. Reportedly, it depicted a devastated section of the Gaza Strip. This post garnered a strong reaction on social media. In response to the criticism, Justin Bieber removed the post and replaced it with the same message without the accompanying photo.
In an earlier Instagram Story, the singer expressed he didn't want to take sides but aimed to stand in solidarity with families affected by the conflict, acknowledging the tragic loss of lives. "To vilianize all Palestinians or all Israeli people to me seems wrong," Justin Bieber wrote in an earlier post on his Instagram Story, adding, "I’m not interested in choosing sides, but I am interested in standing with the families who have been brutally taken from us."
Soon after his post, social media users expressed their disappointment, with one individual characterising the situation as embarrassing and remarking, "Just embarrassing. If you don’t know what you’re talking about, then don’t talk at all. And didn’t he say just yesterday that he wasn’t going to pick sides and look what he’s doing now." Another added. "Justin Bieber posting 'praying for israel' using a picture of a destroyed Gaza is actually insane."
ALSO READ: Kangana Ranaut SLAMS Bollywood for 'maintaining friendships' with Pakistan and China artists
Meanwhile, India initiated a special operation known as 'Operation Ajay' with the objective of evacuating its citizens from Israel. The conflict in the region had escalated due to the attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel on the previous Saturday. This ongoing conflict has resulted in a significant loss of life, with nearly 3,700 casualties reported on both sides, affecting Israel and Gaza. The operation aimed to ensure the safe return of Indian citizens from this volatile situation.
According to the sources of news agency ANI, there are about 18,000 Indian citizens residing in the war-torn country and the registration process of Indians for 'Operation Ajay' is currently underway. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is currently on a visit to Sri Lanka, in a social media post, announced bringing back the Indians into the conflict zone and added special charter flights and other arrangements were being put in place.
ALSO READ: ‘Alia Bhatt threatened to block my number’: Jaideep Ahlawat shares unheard anecdote | WATCH
