Selena Gomez demonstrated the perils for celebrities of posting about the Israel-Hamas war — as she is currently facing some serious online backlash over a seemingly even-handed post on the complicated Middle East conflict.

Gomez took to her Instagram Stories on Monday night to share the news that she's “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.”

She continued, explaining that “People being tortured or killed or any act of hate towards any one group is horrific,” she wrote. “We need to protect ALL people, especially children and stop the violence for good.”

Further, Gomez added, “I’m sorry if my words will never be enough for anyone 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.” She also included a black-and-white photo of her younger half-sister Gracie Elliot Teefey, with the caption, “Having a sister, everyday has made me tragically sick. I would do anything for children and innocent lives.”

While the post laments civilian deaths during war in general, the backlash seems to be stemming from those on the pro-Palestinian side, who see Gomez's stance as leaning pro-Israel. It's unclear why — as there have been horrific civilian deaths and the particularly gruesome loss of both Israeli and Palestinian children's lives during the war.

It's possible her critics are finding fault with her not taking a clear stand one way or another on the divisive issue, but many commenters appeared to unfairly conflate being anti-Hamas with being anti-Palestine.

Commenters reading between the lines appeared to interpret Gomez's criticism of “any act of hate towards any one group” as “horrific” as a reference to Hamas' tragic terrorist attack on Israel on October 7 that ignited the current conflict — since Hamas openly declared its hatred for the Jewish people and did not acknowledge Israel's right to exist as a country at all. However, being against a Gaza terrorist organization that horrifically targeted civilians does not equate to a lack of support for Palestine.

The other criticism being thrown at Gomez for the post is that she is making the issue too much about herself. She concludes her post by stating, “I'm sorry if my words will never be enough for everyone or a hashtag. I just can't stand by innocent people geting [sic] hurt. That's what makes me sick. I wish I could change the world. But a post won't. Love, Selena.”

Some commenters pointed out that Gomez sent this message around the time that she was enjoying herself at a Lakers game, suggesting she wasn't being genuine about doing all that she possibly could to help. Others pointed out her immense social media following and thought she was under-stating her potential reach to an audience.

The unfavorable response to the post was similar to the one Mark Ruffalo received for his initial post after the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, though his criticism was largely from pro-Israel supporters. Ruffalo, an outspoken critic of Israel — who was forced in the past to apologize for a self-professed inaccurate and inflammatory description of the country as “committing ‘genocide'” during an earlier conflict — gave a more carefully worded though still divisive post following the Hamas attack.

Ruffalo posted on October 9, “Concerning the tragic events unfolding in Israel and Gaza, I am grief-stricken for the unspeakable suffering and loss of life and loved ones. This horrific violence must end. I have no answers obviously, but I feel it is absolutely necessary to focus on our shared human existence and reality. The sanctity of our common humanity will hopefully serve to heal the unimaginable wounds of division.”

Again, a statement with a seemingly inclusive message of support for innocent people on both sides of the conflict — though coming directly on the heels of the Hamas sneak attack, pro-Israel supporters found fault with the fact that Ruffalo couldn't specifically call out a heinous terrorist act.

Even when not related to the Middle East, celebrities are often criticized for speaking out about social issues unrelated to their profession. LeBron James was famously told by Fox News host Laura Ingraham to “shut up and dribble” after he criticized President Trump, in a critique dripping with racist undertones.

Selena Gomez‘s comments on the Israel-Hamas war, and others like it, are just the latest in a series of sensitive subjects that divide society as a whole, so it really should come as no surprise that they divide celebrities' fan bases as well.