Gal Gadot got choked up as she stood at a gala podium Thursday night and requested that a crowd of 1,300 assembled by United Hatzalah of Israel remember the hostages being held in captivity since Nova Music Festival massacre on Oct. 7.

“As we stand here tonight, we cannot forget the 48 Israeli hostages still held in Gaza,” offered Gadot, fighting back tears as seen in a video from the event. “Their safe return must remain our urgent prayer and our shared missions.”

The comments and the emotional moment came after the Wonder Woman and Snow White star called it a “true privilege” to be in the room, “supporting a cause that reflects best the set of beliefs of the Jewish people.” 

United Hatzalah is an Israeli volunteer-based emergency medical services organization that provides on the ground response teams for those in need. “At its heart, this is about compassion, about choosing life, about showing up for one another in moments of need.”

Gadot continued: “I was raised with values of kindness, courage and responsibility, values deeply rooted in Judaism. And I see those same values alive every single day in our people who refuse to give in to fear or hate, and instead choose hope, action and humanity. I’ve always believed in the power of peace and coexistence. 

What moves me most about this organization is how it brings people of all faiths, cultures, and walks of life together in service of one sacred mission — to save lives. Jews, Muslims, Christians, men and women from every background, all united in the moment that matters the most.”

The current moment reflects a sensitive time. As the Gaza conflict rages on, thousands of film workers have joined a pledge organized by Film Workers for Palestine that calls for a boycott of Israeli film institutions “implicated in genocide and apartheid” against the Palestinian people. 

“At the end of August, the IAGS, the International Association of Genocide Scholars who studied thoroughly the concept of genocide, called what is going on in Gaza today a genocide,” Javier Bardem told The Hollywood Reporter on Sunday of backing the effort. “And that’s why we ask for the commercial and diplomatic blockade and the sanctions on Israel to stop this genocide. Free Palestine