Jewish actor Miriam Margolyes 'ashamed of Israel' over Gaza

Jewish actor Miriam Margolyes has called on fellow Jews to "shout, beg, scream for a ceasefire" in Gaza, where an indiscriminate Israeli war has killed over 33,000 Palestinians since last October.

The Harry Potter star recently told the Jewish Council of Australia that she was "so ashamed of Israel" and called on Jews to "do the right thing" and demand an end to the brutal bombardment of the enclave.

Margolyes is the latest Jewish celebrity to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, which has been devastated by months of Israeli bombardment with tens of thousands of women and children killed.

"To me, it seems as if Hitler has won. He’s changed us Jews from being compassionate and caring and do unto others as you would have them do unto you into this vicious, genocidal nationalist nation, pursuing and killing women and children," she said.

Israel launched a war on Gaza in October, following a surprise Hamas-led attack which killed 1,139 Israelis. It followed months of deadly Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank and incursions into the grounds of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

Margolyes described the situation in Gaza as "shocking, embarrassing and wicked", and says she wants an immediate ceasefire in Gaza  and the release of hostages held by Hamas.

The British-Australian actor has joined other Jewish figures, such as Zone of Interest director Jonathan Glazer, to use their public profiles to call for an end to the war.

Last week, 151 Jewish creatives penned an open letter saying they "stand with all those calling for a permanent ceasefire", highlighting the need for the immediate delivery of aid.

The letter was signed by a mix of actors, writers, producers and filmmakers, including Lenny Abrahamson, a film director, and David Cross, a stand-up comedian.

"We are proud Jews who denounce the weaponisation of Jewish identity and the memory of the Holocaust to justify what many experts in international law, including leading Holocaust scholars, have identified as a 'genocide in the making'," the letter reads.

Non-Jewish actors, such as Mark Ruffalo, also displayed their support for a ceasefire at last month's Oscars.

The Hulk star, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, raised his fist aloft and said: "The Palestinian protest shut down the Oscars tonight. Humanity wins!"

"We really just want lasting justice and peace for the Palestinian people…there’s so much there to process and it feels like the easiest way to have the conversations that people want to have is when their isn’t an active bombing campaign happening," he added.

Egyptian-American comedian Ramy Youssef also wore a red pin to show his support for the Free Palestine movement.