Ons Jabeur echoes Gigi Hadid's stance on the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict as model prays for safety of innocent lives

By Sreeja Banik

Modified Oct 12, 2023 07:20 GMT

Ons Jabeur has expressed her support for American model and television personality Gigi Hadid's stance on the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. As Hadid did, the Tunisian also prayed for the safety of innocent lives affected by the complex situation.

Over the weekend, Hamas, a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization, perpetrated brutal attacks on Israel. According to reports, the heinous acts have resulted in the loss of over 250 lives and left more than 1,500 individuals injured.

The tragic event marks the deadliest assault in Israel in several decades. In response, Israel has initiated retaliatory strikes, causing the loss of hundreds of lives in the Gaza Strip.

Gigi Hadid, who is of half-Palestinian descent, recently issued a statement denouncing the abhorrent attacks in southern Israel. Although she is a prominent advocate for the Free Palestine Movement, Hadid emphasized that her aspirations for a free Palestine should never come at the expense of the Jewish community.

"I have deep empathy and heartbreak for the Palestinian struggle and life under occupation, it's a responsibility I hold daily. I also feel a responsibility to my Jewish friends to make it clear, as I have before: While I have hopes and dreams for Palestinians, none of them include the harm of a Jewish person. The terrorizing of innocent people is not in alignment with & does not do any good for the 'Free Palestine' movement," Hadid wrote.

The supermodel also expressed her love and offered prayers for the safety of both Palestinian and Jewish people.

"I'm sending you my love & strength whoever and wherever you are. There are a lot of complex, personal, and valid feelings, but every human deserves basic rights, treatment, and security; no matter their nationality, religion, ethnicity, or where they were born," Hadid added.

Agreeing with Gigi Hadid's statement, Ons Jabeur re-shared the model's statement on her social media handles, accompanied by the Palestinian flag emoji, a dove of peace emoji, and praying hands emoji.

Ons Jabeur qualifies for WTA Finals 2023

The 2023 WTA Finals are scheduled to take place in Cancun, Mexico, from October 29 to November 5.

Ons Jabeur has secured her spot in the WTA Finals for the second consecutive year. The Tunisian, alongside Marketa Vondrousova and Karolina Muchova, were the final three players to qualify for the prestigious year-end tournament in Cancun.

Joining the trio are the already qualified Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and Elena Rybakina.

Jabeur made her debut at the WTA Finals last season as the second seed. However, she had a disappointing tournament, winning only one out of three round-robin matches and finishing in second place, ultimately leading to her elimination.

The former World No. 2's sole victory in the competition was against Jessica Pegula, while she suffered defeats at the hands of Maria Sakkari and runner-up Aryna Sabalenka.

Ons Jabeur has won 34 out of 49 matches so far this season and is currently seventh in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings.

Edited by Samya Majumdar