Bono calls to end war in Gaza at Ivor Novello awards

Bono criticised Hamas and Benjamin Netanyahu at the Ivor Novello awards ceremony in London, calling to end the war in Gaza.

U2 were present at the songwriting awards ceremony to receive the Fellowship of the Ivors Academy, where the band performed an acoustic version of ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’.

“I used to introduce this next song by saying it was not a rebel song,” the singer said ahead of the performance. “It was because believing in the possibilities of peace was then, and is now, a rebellious act; and some would say a ridiculous one.

“To believe peace was attainable between your country and ours,” he continued, “between our country and itself was a ridiculous idea because peace creates possibilities in the most intractable situations and lord knows there’s a few of them out there right now.”

He then called out both Hamas and Netanyahu by saying “Hamas, release the hostages, stop the war. Israel, be released from Benjamin Netanyahu and the far-right fundamentalists that twist your sacred texts.”

Finally, he also called for the protection of aid workers, calling them “the best of us. God, you must be so tired of us, children of Abraham, in the rubble of our certainties. Children in the rubble of our revenge. God forgive us.”

The comments marked the first time Bono has spoken out in public against the Israeli prime minister since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023.

Known for being a vocal human rights activist, the singer received the Peace Summit Award at the 2008 Nobel Peace Laureates summit.

Western leaders have recently been largely criticising Netanyahu and the Israeli authorities over the renewed offensive in the Palestinian territory and the risk of famine due to an 11-week aid blockade.