Here's why netizens are calling for ban on fashion label Zara amid Israel-Hamas war

Fashion label Zara has stirred up the hornet’s nest with its latest advertisement campaign which many netizens think is insensitive in the backdrop ofthe current political climate and makes light of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

With grotesque images surfacing on the internet of children in Gaza dying because of the constant bombardment of residential areas by Israeli missiles and heavy machines, Zara’s latest ad campaign titled “The Jacket” appeared to some as mocking the deaths. There has been a public outcry since photos from the campaign shoot were published on the brand’s Instagram page.

What is the controversial Zara brand advert all about?

Add WION as a Preferred Source

In some photos, models are seen wearing outfits from Zara’s latest campaign while there is chaos in the background, structures torn apart, rubble, and statues with missing limbs.

One photo in particular that has caused furor shows a model carrying what looks like a body wrapped in white cloth, similar to how Muslims around the world bury their dead.

Palestinian artist Hazem Harb expressed his dismay on Instagram, stating, “Using death and destruction as a backdrop for fashion is beyond sinister, its complicity [...] should outrage us as consumers. Boycott Zara.”

Check out some reactions here:

Several netizens are finding comparisons in the pictures to the destruction in Gaza.

The fashion brand meanwhile asserts the campaign is a deliberate design choice aimed at highlighting the versatility of the garment.

Post the backlash, Zara has pulled down the controversial images.

However, the company hasn’t issued any statement in this regard.

Zara is one of the wealthiest clothing retailers in the world, and its founder, Amancio Ortega, ranks as the 14th wealthiest individual globally.