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Children’s entertainer Ms Rachel condemns Hamas after backlash over Gaza appeals
The educational TV host has gained a global following, but some parents were unhappy that some of her videos took on a more political tone
July 22, 2025 15:00
The educational TV host has gained a global following, but some parents were unhappy that some of her videos took on a more political tone
July 22, 2025 15:00Children’s entertainer Ms Rachel, known for her “toddler learning videos” on YouTube, has issued a statement condemning Hamas and the horrors of October 7 following backlash over her public appeals for Gaza.
The American social media star, real name Rachel Accurso, has previously posted to her personal platforms calling for greater action to alleviate the humanitarian situation in the Strip, as well as referencing the conflict in the educational videos she produces for children.
In one video, she displayed a photograph of an emaciated child while holding her own baby, saying: “Dear world leaders, please help this baby.
"Please look her in the eyes for one minute...and think about a baby you love.
"There’s no way that we all don’t know that you can’t kill 15,000 kids and you can’t be about to let 14,000 kids starve.”
The former figure appeared to be based on data released by the Gaza Ministry of Health, which is run by the Hamas government and has repeatedly been proven to manipulate death toll statistics, while the latter is seemingly a reference to a subsequently debunked claim, made by a UN official in May, that 14,000 Gazan children were at risk of starving to death within 48 hours.
Accurso also drew criticism for filming a “letter of the day” video, aimed at children to help them learn the alphabet, featuring “my friend Motaz” – Palestinian journalist Motaz Azaiza.
Azaiza has faced criticism for his anti-Israel advocacy, with one Instagram post saying: “F*** Israel. Every day, every minute and whenever I take a breath.”
Another was captioned: “Israel likes to kill us and you like to watch.
"You like to watch and even enjoy it because the whole world didn’t stop it from happening.”
The video featuring Azaiza has since been deleted.
However, in an interview with Mehdi Hassan, Accurso defended her advocacy, saying: “I think it should be controversial to not say anything.
“It’s sad that people try to make it controversial when you speak out for children that are facing immeasurable suffering. Silence wasn’t a choice for me.”
In a statement responding to her critics yesterday, Accurso said: “I condemn Hamas, I condemn October 7, I condemn taking precious Israeli children and civilians hostage, I condemn killing precious Israeli children and civilians, I condemn war crimes, human rights violations, children’s rights violations.”
However, she added: “I condemn the Israeli government, I condemn the killing of precious Palestinian children and civilians, I condemn using starvation as a weapon against children and civilians, I condemn bombing schools and hospitals, I condemn war crimes, human rights violations [and] children’s rights violations.”
And she captioned the post: “Some of us just want children to LIVE.”
The IDF has consistently denied deliberately targeting civilians and says it makes all possible efforts to minimise civillian casualties, despite Hamas’ efforts to embed its command centres within civilian infrastructure. Israel also denies weaponising aid, insists that sufficient aid reaches the Strip and says shortages are due to looting and Hamas’ attempts to disrupt the Israeli-backed aid system currently operating in the territory.
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