U2 frontman Bono made a powerful change to the lyrics of "Pride (In the Name of Love)" during the band's Las Vegas show to honor the Tribe of Nova attendees killed during the surprise attack on Israel.
Hamas initiated a shocking attack on Israel over the weekend, prompting Israel to declare war and retaliate. Israeli authorities have reported dozens of captives held hostage in Gaza, although precise numbers remain unconfirmed. Hamas claimed on Sunday that it was holding more than 100 hostages.
The Re'im music festival massacre took place shortly after the invasion. ZAKA, Israel's volunteer community emergency response group, reported retrieving at least 260 bodies from the party grounds.
Bono announced he'd made a slight change to the song's lyrics in honor of the “beautiful kids” killed at the festival.
You can hear his remarks and the song in the video below.
Bono said:
“In the light of what’s happened in Israel and Gaza, a song about non-violence seems somewhat ridiculous, even laughable, but our prayers have always been for peace and for non-violence."
“But our hearts and our anger, you know where that’s pointed. So sing with us and those beautiful kids at that music festival.”
He then sang the following:
“Early morning, October 7, the sun is rising in the desert sky. Stars of David, they took your life, but they could not take your pride.”
The original lyrics, which were written to commemorate the life of the civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., are:
“Early morning, April 4, a shot rings out in the Memphis sky. Free at last, they took your life. They could not take your pride.”
The footage of Bono's tribute quickly went viral and prompted many to express their solidarity with Israel in light of the massacre.
Hamas insurgents breached Israeli territory on Saturday, ushering in street warfare not seen for decades.
The human cost has been staggering, with more than 1,800 lives lost on both sides and the possibility of hundreds more casualties. Israeli authorities assert that Hamas and other militant factions in Gaza are detaining more than 150 soldiers and civilians as hostages.
Tensions are on an alarming ascent, marked by Israel's expansion of mobilized reservists to 360,000. On Tuesday morning, Israel's military announced a successful restoration of control over the areas in the southern regions targeted by Hamas, as well as the security of the Gaza border.
It is still not known whether Israel will initiate a ground offensive into the Gaza Strip, which is home to 2.3 million people and has been under the governance of Hamas since 2007.
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