Israeli soldiers have mocked American celebrities Billie Eilish and Mark Ruffalo by writing their names on artillery shells used in the bombardment of Gaza, in response to the stars’ vocal support for Palestinians.
Images that circulated online Monday showed 155mm shells with the names of the Grammy Award-winning singer and Hollywood actor scrawled in marker, alongside the taunt: "You can go to Gaza."
The act comes as both celebrities have been outspoken in demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and greater humanitarian access to the enclave, where Israel has killed more than 62,700 Palestinians since October 2023.
Eilish and Ruffalo were among hundreds of performers who signed the Artists4Ceasefire letter to former US president Joe Biden in 2024, urging Washington to halt weapons transfers to Israel and push for a ceasefire.
At the Academy Awards ceremony that year, both wore symbolic red pins to highlight the demand for peace and humanitarian relief.
Ruffalo has long criticised Israel’s carnage and accused Washington of enabling atrocities through its arms sales.
Eilish, one of the world’s best-selling music artists, has also expressed solidarity with Palestinians on social media.
Man-made disaster
US film star Mark Ruffalo has denounced the starvation in Gaza, calling it a "man-made disaster" and urging world leaders to act to stop Israel's genocide in Gaza.
"This is not a natural disaster. It's not a drought. This is a man-made disaster. It's a man-made criminal act to kill civilian populations, and it's being perpetrated by Israel and the IDF," Ruffalo said in a video posted on Instagram.
"Don't let Gaza starve. Speak up. Don't stop until there's a just and lasting peace. Yes, we must stop this. We must bring the hostages home, and we must stop the killing of the children. More than 80% of the people who have died in this war are civilians. It's insane. Do something," he added.
Ruffalo, who has starred in multiple Oscar-nominated films, including the Avengers franchise, specifically appealed to US President Donald Trump and European leaders to intervene.
"You say you care about starving people. You say you want to stop the war. Do something," he said.
"Germany, do something. Europe, do something. UK, do something. We're going to sit here and watch this happen? It's insane. It's heartbreaking."
The actor’s plea comes days after a UN-backed food security report formally declared starvation in Gaza, describing it as "a failure of humanity itself."
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the crisis was "not about food, but the deliberate collapse of the systems needed for human survival."
Israel’s genocide in Gaza
Israel’s ongoing genocide has devastated Gaza, which the United Nations says is facing starvation after nearly two years of carnage.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.
Despite this, its aggression continues to receive US backing, with Washington approving billions of dollars in weapons since October 2023.
The mocking of Western celebrities comes amid growing international backlash against Israel, with global protests, boycott campaigns, and increasing calls to suspend arms shipments.
