Selena Gomez posted a message on Instagram that is causing controversy. The 21-year-old singer and actress displayed It’s About Humanity. Pray For Gaza on the site and received backlash for treading into politics. Realizing that her post was causing a debate online, she later posted a photo and a caption saying, “And of course to be clear, I am not picking any sides. I am praying for peace and humanity for all!”

Gaza, a region of Palestine, has come under heavy conflict recently, with Israeli soldiers battling militants. The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, ordered strikes to destroy tunnels that the Islamic terrorist group Hamas used. The death toll has risen, most of them Palestinian, in the ongoing conflict in Israel. It was part of a week that saw many tragedies, including the Malaysian airliner that was shot down in Ukraine.

Gomez went onto Instagram, a social media site where users share photos and videos, and posted her message. She was met with a mixed reaction from fans, some supporting her, others criticizing her. Those who were outraged reacted by threatening to un-follow her, remarking she did not know what was going on. The Israel-Palestinian conflict is controversial and complex, with no peaceful resolution in sight. The star urged her followers to pray for the people. It seems her good intention did not sit well with many on Instagram. “Please pray for those families and babies today,” she wrote.

Other stars like Rihanna have voiced their opinions on the intense conflict in Israel, but retracted their messages. The Come and Get it singer is not known for causing controversy, except with her relationship to ex Justin Bieber. Her post has gotten over 525,000 likes, so it appears that many resonate with her message. It is a conflict in the world many hope will find peace.