"Stranger Things" star Noah Schnapp has finally addressed the online backlash to his stance on the Israel-Hamas War and claimed his beliefs about the conflict have been "misconstrued."
The Jewish-American actor, known for his portrayal of Will Byers on the Netflix television series, was heavily criticized in November after a video captured him in a restaurant posing with stickers that said, "Zionism is Sexy" and "Hamas is Isis."
In the clip posted to Instagram, the actor could be seen sitting at a table and recording a group of friends as they made silly faces and held up the stickers.
In a Monday evening TikTok video, Schnapp said he wanted to take the time to "discuss everything that's been going on online."
"I feel like my thoughts and beliefs have been so far misconstrued from anything even close to what I believe and I wanted to just state from my heart how I feel. I only want peace and safety and security for all innocent people affected by this conflict," Schnapp said.
Schnapp revealed that after many "open discussions" with Palestinian friends, he believes there are many meaningful conversations to have and he has "learned a lot."
"One of the takeaways I've had is that we all hope for the same things, that being those innocent people still being held hostage in Gaza to be returned to their families and equally hope for an end to the loss of innocent life in Palestine — so many of those people being women and children, and it's horrible to see," Schnapp added.
He then suggested that any person with "an ounce of humanity" would hope for an end to the conflict and stressed that he stands against "any killing of innocent people."
Schnapp also said he hoped that one day, the two groups would be able to live "harmoniously" and wished for 2024 online discourse to be more understanding and compassionate to others, regardless of race, ethnicity, background, country of birth, or sexuality.
"We are all human and we're all the same and we should all love each other for that and support each other and stand together. And stand together for humanity and for peace," he said.
Following the October 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas, Schnapp released a strong message in support of Israel on Instagram.
He said at the time that he was "heartbroken" by the violence committed by Hamas against Israel on October 7, which resulted in the murder of more than 1,000 civilians.
"You either stand with Israel or you stand with terrorism," he declared. "It shouldn't be a difficult choice. Shame on you."
Schnapp, in the post, referenced his Jewish heritage as well as a message of solidarity with the country reeling from the deadly attack.
"As a Jewish American, I am afraid. Afraid for my brothers and sisters in Israel, who have been senselessly attacked by Hamas. I am truly heartbroken to see the brutal murders of innocent children, women and soldiers fighting to defend themselves," he wrote.
The actor acknowledged he wants peace between both Palestinians and Israel but insisted that people should not be choosing sides over this issue.
He also condemned responses celebrating or rationalizing the attacks, stating, "I am outraged by the justification and celebration of the death of a young girl's life. Have people lost their minds??? STOP!"
Schnapp's representatives did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment,
