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Singer Taylor Swift and actor Selena Gomez attended a stand-up comedy show in New York on December 8, Vogue has reported, the proceeds of which were dedicated to humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza.

Hosted by comedian Ramy Youssef at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York, the event was part of the Ramy Youssef: more feelings stand-up tour, with additional shows in various cities, including Philadelphia, Washington DC, and San Francisco.

A host of celebrities, such as British model Cara Delevingne and actors Anya Taylor-Joy and Zoe Kravitz, also attended the event. Their presence was originally documented by The Image Direct, images from which were shared on the social media handles of People Magazine and Vogue. However, the articles from the publications chose to spotlight the celebrities’ clothing choices rather than the event and its purpose.

On November 15, Youssef announced on Instagram that all proceeds from the remaining tour dates would be donated to ANERA, a non-governmental organisation committed to providing humanitarian relief to the people of Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan and Lebanon.

ANERA, established after the 1967 Six-Day War, focuses on addressing the needs of Palestinian refugees through investments in education, agriculture, water, sanitation, and health programmes.

Previously, Swift and Gomez faced criticism for their silence on the ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza.

Gomez, in particular, drew significant criticism after she posted on Instagram, “I’ve been taking a break from social media because my heart breaks to see all of the horror, hate, violence and terror that’s going on in the world. People being tortured and killed or any act of hate towards any one group is horrific.”

“We need to protect ALL people, especially children and stop the violence for good. I’m sorry if my words will never be enough for everyone or a hashtag. I just can’t stand by innocent people getting hurt. That’s what makes me sick. I wish I could change the world. But a post won’t. Love, Selena.”

Obviously, people weren’t satisfied with this wishy-washy post. FYI — Selena Gomez is the most followed woman on Instagram with 430 million followers and she’s been a UNICEF ambassador since 2009. People were especially angry that she didn’t use her platform to advocate for peace and downplayed her own influence.

Her fans to initiated a global boycott of Rare Beauty, accusing Gomez of “making the violence about herself” in a social media post.

Later, her brand Rare Beauty announced in post on Instagram a donation “to the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies — the Israeli Magen David Adom, and Palestinian Red Crescent Society”.

“We will also be donating to UNICEF to help get urgent medical relief & resources to the children of Gaza,” read a post on the brand’s page. However, this move sparked further criticism from fans who objected to Gomez’s support for an Israeli organisation.

Pro-Palestinian advocates have consistently urged celebrities to leverage their platforms to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Swift has yet to make any statement about the Israeli massacre in Gaza, leaving her position on the matter unclear. Gomez hasn’t spoken about it since the donation, but she did sign a letter with fellow celebrities urging the US government to call for a ceasefire.