Playboy has condemned Mia Khalifa's remarks regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, branding them "hateful and dehumanizing," in a termination letter to the star that has been shared with Newsweek.

Former adult film entertainer Khalifa, 30, has lost at least two business deals after voicing her support for what she described as Palestinian "freedom fighters," in the wake of surprise attacks on Israelis by militant group Hamas on Saturday.

Militants fighting for Hamas stormed into Israel, killing more than 1,200 according to figures from the Israeli military. Hamas said the attack was retribution for worsening conditions for Palestinians under Israeli occupation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu subsequently declared: "We are at war." Since Saturday, Israel has carried out attacks against Hamas, launching "Operation Swords of Iron." Israel has been pummeling the sealed-off and densely populated Gaza Strip with airstrikes.

Palestinian officials said around 1,055 people had been killed in Gaza since Saturday. Israel has also stopped entry of food, fuel and medicine into Gaza, worsening the humanitarian conditions in the tiny territory of 2.3 million people.

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed organization that the U.S. considers a terrorist group alongside Hamas, on Sunday launched a barrage of mortar shells into Israel. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) fired artillery into Lebanon. No casualties were reported on either side.

Following Hamas' attack on Israel, Khalifa shared a post on X, formerly Twitter, in which she addressed the footage that was coming out of the region.

"Can someone please tell the freedom fighters in Palestine to flip their phones and film horizontal," she wrote on the platform on Saturday.

Following days of criticism over her post, Khalifa sought to clarify her comment in a follow-up statement on Monday.

"I just want to make it clear that this statement in no way shape or form is [inciting] spread of violence," she said. "I specifically said freedom fighters because that's what the Palestinian citizens are... fighting for freedom every day."

However, the damage was already done. Playboy was one of two companies that quickly severed ties with the star; visitors to her page on the brand's Centerfold platform are now met with a "not found" notification. Playboy announced the end of its relationship with Khalifa in an email to subscribers.

Lebanese-born Khalifa's original message on Saturday also led to her public firing from her role as an adviser at Red Light Holland, which produces and distributes magic mushrooms.

Red Light Holland CEO Todd Shapiro wrote on X: "This is such a horrendous tweet @miakhalifa. Consider yourself fired effective immediately. Simply disgusting. Beyond disgusting. Please evolve and become a better human being."

"The fact you are condoning death, rape, beatings and hostage taking is truly gross," Shapiro went on. "No words can explain your ignorance. We need humans to come together, especially in the face of tragedy. I pray for you to become a better person. However, it clearly seems like it's too late for you."

In a termination letter sent to Khalifa that was also shared with Newsweek, Playboy deemed her comments "disgusting and reprehensible." Read the letter in full below.

Termination Letter In Full

Mia,

Playboy has always been a champion of free speech. We have fought in the courts for the rights of all people to speak free from any governmental interference. For seventy years we have highlighted different viewpoints in the pages of our magazine, on our websites, in the symposia that we've hosted, and from the thought-leaders, creators and artists who we've platformed on our various forms of media.

We also have no place in our company nor on our platforms for speech that is hateful and dehumanizing. Your recent statements celebrating Hamas' attacks on innocent men, women and children in Israel, including rape, mutilation, killing and torture, are disgusting and reprehensible. Consequently, we are hereby permanently terminating you from the Playboy creator platform and ending all other business dealings we may have with you.

We want to be very clear: we respect your right to free speech. We also expect that you understand that how you use your speech has consequences. Today, we are calling you out on your hate-mongering and severing all ties with you. We will also be letting our creator community know of our decision.

With a heavy heart for the victims,

Playboy

Standing Her Ground

Khalifa has remained defiant in light of the criticism she has faced for her comments. After Red Light Holland's Shapiro informed her via X that she had been fired, she responded: "I'd say supporting Palestine has lost me business opportunities, but I'm more angry at myself for not checking whether or not I was entering into business with Zionists. My bad."

In a separate post, Khalifa said: "I just wanna make sure there's 4k footage of my people breaking down the walls of the open air prison they've been forced out of their homes and into so we have good options for the history books that write about how how they freed themselves from apartheid.

"Please worry about your sad little company lacking direction and purpose before you utter my name again. I stand with all people fighting oppression, now and always, do your research before begging for my investment in your little project, I'm from LEBANON, are you insane for expecting me to be on the side of colonialism you f****** weirdo."

Radio host and wrestling pundit Peter Rosenberg also criticized Khalifa's post in a direct message. Khalifa subsequently made their private exchange public on her X account, where she currently has more than 5.7 million followers.

"I stand with all oppressed people, everywhere, until no one is fighting for freedom," the screenshot showed Khalifa responding. "I'm from Lebanon, I've lived through more air [raids] by the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] than your tiny privileged brain could ever know how to work through.

"[You] know nothing but tall tales of a land that doesn't belong to you, created by a military that has nothing to do with your peaceful god loving religion. Don't you ever disrespect me and my experience with what geopolitical war is again you man child."

Newsweek has contacted representatives of Khalifa via email for comment.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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