British actress Juliet Stevenson says what's happened in Gaza since Oct. 7 is 'catastrophic, barbaric’

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Famed British actress Juliet Stevenson said she was appalled by the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by the Palestinian group Hamas, but what has been happening in the Gaza Strip since then is "catastrophic and barbaric."

Known for her BAFTA nominated role in Truly, Madly, Deeply and her appearances in Bend It Like Beckham, Emma and Mona Lisa Smile, Stevenson expressed her solidarity with the people of Palestine in Gaza.

In an interview with Anadolu ahead of the recent National March for Palestine in London, she noted that the situation is "so desperate" for everyone in the region, especially Gazans.

"The people of Gaza are now suffering beyond the realms of what anybody could imagine," said Stevenson, adding she attended the latest rally in London calling for a cease-fire because she "can’t just sit at home."

Like many countries across the world, Britain has seen massive nationwide rallies since the beginning of Israel’s assault on Gaza, calling for an end to arms supply to Israel as well as an immediate, permanent cease-fire in the besieged enclave.

"I (was) appalled by the events that took place on Oct. 7, but what's happened since is catastrophic and barbaric, and I think for everybody living in that region, the whole thing is a disaster," she said.

"Including for the Israelis, it will not serve them for this terrible war to go on. They'll be living in fear for generations, and the hatred and the anger will go on for generations. It's just catastrophic.”

According to Stevenson, the war is being "waged by a few people in power whose interests" it would seem to serve, but not those of ordinary people.

Noting that her husband, Hugh Brody, is Jewish, she added: "I profoundly respect and understand the needs of the Jewish community to feel safe."

But Stevenson highlighted that these rallies "are not about anti-Semitism, it's about anti-war, it's about pro-life, anti-violence."

"I wish the Jewish community would walk with us, and many of them do. Of course, many of them do," she added.

Many pro-Palestine Jewish protesters from various groups have attended the marches, which have been held across the UK since Oct. 7 in solidarity with Palestinians.

Israel has killed more than 34,400 Palestinians since an Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attack by Hamas in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed and around 250 taken hostage.

The conflict has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered it to ensure that its forces do not commit acts of genocide and that it guarantees that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.​​​​​​​