Barbra Streisand's Israel-Hamas war hostages comment takes off online

Barbra Streisand's message about Israeli hostages held captive by Hamas in Gaza has deeply divided people.

The Jewish singer spoke out as she shared a New York Times article from March about a former hostage who said she was sexually assaulted while in captivity.

"It goes without saying that hostages are suffering and must be released now. There is an additional horror for female hostages. What they endure in terms of sexual violence should be – as the UN said, 'clear and convincing' to all. It should also be unequivocally denounced," she wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in a post that has been viewed almost 500,000 in 24 hours.

Palestinian militant group Hamas kidnapped around 250 people from Israel in a surprise attack there on October 7, when its fighters also killed 1,200 people. Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 37,100, according to the latest figures from Associated Press.

A United Nations report from March based on research gathered in January found Hamas had committed sexual violence against some female hostages, based their firsthand accounts, as well as against women during its October 7 attack.

Another U.N. report released on Wednesday described ongoing sexual violence committed by Israeli forces in Gaza and the West Bank, which it said amounted to "war crimes." The Human Rights Council report claimed "specific forms of sexual and gender-based violence constitute part of Israeli Security Forces' operating procedure."

It also found members of Palestinian armed groups committed sexual violence against Israelis.

Responses to Streisand's post were mixed. Some people accused her for not speaking up sooner in favor of Israel and its hostages, while others tried discredit her claims.

"Nice to see a legend in the music industry speak up while too many are silent.
Thank you Barbara," replied @JudeanGeneral.

But @nickberoxbe1989 added: "What took you so long? Are you afraid of upsetting your friends and fans?"

And @bonsaisky wrote: "She's repeating the same debunked lies 😂"

Streisand has long been vocal in her support of Israel and described herself, in a 1987 interview with Esquire magazine, as "a Jewess through and through, although I'm not religious."

She attended a rally at the Hollywood Bowl in 1967 which was put on to raise emergency funds for Israel after the Six-Day War.

The singer was good friends with late Israeli politician Shimon Peres and has made numerous statements since the October 7 attack.

She wrote on Instagram in December: "When I first met Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres years ago, I asked him 'How can you help the Palestinians?' He replied 'By making their lives better!' We needed his advice then, and should urgently heed it now. In my humble opinion, we need a two-state solution that will hopefully bring peace and prosperity to the region."

Days after the Hamas attack she took to Instagram, where she wrote: "The population of Israel is under 10 million people. There are over 700 confirmed Israeli dead from the terrorist attack on civilians. The equivalent in the US would be over 25,000 dead in New York City on 9/11."

She also appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert the following day, where the eponymous host asked her about the conflict.

"People are people," Streisand said. "It's true. We all want the same thing. We all want love in our hearts. We all want family. We all want to feel secure. I hope for the best because this is heartbreaking what's happening now with these people, the children, the mothers—doesn't matter what religion they are. This is beyond religion. This is insanity for us not to learn how to live together in peace."

"I could easily cry about this," she continued. "Where is God in this time? Where is he or she?"