Celebrities including Bono, Natalie Portman and Madonna have been expressing their horror at the violence in Israel and Gaza since Hamas launched its attack on Saturday.

– Music stars –

U2 frontman Bono changed the lyrics to the group's hit song "Pride (In the Name of Love") during their residency in Las Vegas on Sunday.

He called for the audience to sing for "those beautiful kids at that music festival", in reference to the hundreds killed and wounded at the Supernova festival attacked by Hamas.

Madonna posted a video on Instagram featuring footage of the violence, adding: "Watching all of these families and especially children being herded, assaulted and murdered in the streets is Heartbreaking.

"Conflicts can never be resolved with violence. Unfortunately Humanity does not understand this Universal truth. Has Never Understood it. We live in a World Ravaged by Hate," the singer added.

– Hollywood stars –

"I stand with Israel you should too," wrote "Wonder Woman" star Gal Gadot, who is Israeli, on Instagram.

"The world cannot sit on the fence when these horrific acts of terror are happening!"

Portman, also Israeli, wrote on the platform: "My heart is shattered for the people of Israel."

The Rock said he was "heartbroken, angry and sickened" by the Hamas attack.

"I don't pretend to know everything about the complex conflict in the Middle East," he said.

But, he added: "Hateful acts of terrorism like these are never justified."

– Palestine supporters –

Model Gigi Hadid, whose father is Palestinian, reiterated her support for the Palestinian cause but wrote: "While I have hopes and dreams for Palestinians, none of them include the harm of a Jewish person."

"The terrorizing of innocent people… does not do any good for the 'Free Palestine' movement. The idea that it does has fueled a painful, decades-long cycle of back and forth retaliation… and helps perpetuate the false idea that being pro-Palestine = antisemitic."

Renowned conductor Daniel Barenboim, who grew up in Israel and has campaigned for peace in the region for decades, said he "fiercely" condemned the Hamas attack on X, formerly Twitter.

But he said the siege of Gaza by Israel "constitutes a policy of collective punishment, which is a violation of human rights".

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© Agence France-Presse