Oscar winning actor denounces Israel for 'dehumanizing' attacks against Gaza

LONDON

Oscar winning Spanish actor Javier Bardem denounced the Israeli government on Friday for committing "crimes against humanity" in the Gaza Strip as he urged the international community to hold those responsible to account.

Bardem told reporters at the Donostia Award as part of the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain, that Israeli leadership, under its most radical government, is committing "crimes against humanity and international law."

He noted that the Oct. 7 attacks by that was led by the Palestine resistance group, Hamas, could not justify the collective punishment of Palestinians as he defined the Israeli attacks as "totally inadmissible, terrible and dehumanizing," Variety magazine reported.

The Oscar-winning actor also urged countries, especially the US and the UK, to reconsider their "unconditional support" for Israel and urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to hold those responsible accountable.

ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan requested in May that the Court issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on suspicion of committing crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Since then, Khan has requested twice, most recently in August, for the court to expedite the issuance of the warrants.

During the course of nearly a year, Israeli attacks have killed more than 41,000 victims, mostly women and children, and injured over 95,500, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel also faces accusations of genocide for its actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.