Hollywood actress Cynthia Nixon has launched a hunger strike to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The Sex and the City star joined other activists for a two-day fast outside the White House in Washington DC. "We are here hunger-striking just to sort of mirror to [US President] Biden the kind of deprivation that is happening in Gaza and how he has it within his power to make a ceasefire happen," Nixon said outside the White House, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "None of this is normal. None of this is routine and none of this can be allowed to continue." The Emmy, Grammy and Tony award-winning actress has been a vocal activist and previously was one of 260 artists who signed an open letter calling for President Biden and the US Congress to commit to a ceasefire. On social media the #HungerStrikeForCeasefire is described as a coalition of members of Palestinian, Jewish and racial justice organisations. They are calling for a permanent ceasefire and an end to US military funding to Israel. Rana Abdelhamid is also taking part in the strike and repeated an earlier warning from the UN's World Food Program that civilians in Gaza faced possible starvation due to a lack of food, water and fuel. "We are on hunger strike because Oxfam has stated that 'starvation is being used as a weapon of war against Gaza civilians'," she said. About half a dozen people have committed to giving up food for five days while the rest will fast for less time, and five US state lawmakers are part of the strike, according to Time magazine.
