Actor Michael Douglas on Sunday paid a solidarity visit to an Israeli kibbutz that was hit hard in the October 7 Hamas attack which sparked Israel’s war against the Islamic militant group.

Douglas met members of Kibbutz Be’eri and visited burnt-out homes destroyed in the attack.

Be’eri was among the hardest hit communities, with about 100 people killed and 30 others taken hostage.

Douglas said he met families of hostages and visited the scene of a music party where more than 300 people were killed.

Michael Douglas is a legend of the silver screen. What he saw today in the south of Israel however, is no movie set. It is the scene of one of the worst crimes against humanity, carried out against peace-loving people by brutal Hamas terrorists.

Thank you for coming to be a… pic.twitter.com/dejaVqG6m0

— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) June 2, 2024

He also met Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, who presented him with an Israeli dog tag necklace and small pin of a yellow ribbon – symbols of solidarity with the dozens of hostages who remain in Hamas captivity.

“It’s a very difficult time. You sense the deep shock of this whole experience,” Douglas said, expressing hope that the hostages would be released soon.

Douglas also criticised pro-Palestinian protesters on American university campuses, claiming that many have been subject to “brainwashing”.

“When you try to talk to many of them, there is no education. There’s no knowledge,” he said.

Douglas is the latest in a line of American celebrities and politicians who have visited Israel and toured the southern area near the Gaza border since October 7.