Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty company pledges donations to Israeli, Palestinian organizations

Selena Gomez has stepped away from social media as the Israel-Hamas war intensifies in the Gaza Strip.

"I've been taking a break from social media because my heart breaks to see all of the horror, hate, violence and terror that's going on in the world. People being tortured and killed or any act of hate towards any one group is horrific. We need to protect ALL people, especially children and stop the violence for good," Gomez wrote in her Instagram Story on Oct 30.

"I'm sorry if my words will never be enough for everyone or a hashtag. I just can't stand by innocent people getting hurt," she continued. "That's what makes me sick. I wish I could change the world. But a post won't. Love, Selena."

Her statement comes amid Instagram users posting comments under her recent posts urging her to speak out about the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza as a water supply "catastrophe" looms, per the United Nations Children's Fund, and the Israeli military expands its incursion into the Gaza Strip.

On TikTok and Instagram, Gomez has not posted anything to her grid since early October. The most-followed woman on Instagram, the "Only Murders in the Building" star often takes social media breaks – including earlier this year – for mental health reasons.

Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty issues statement on 'humanitarian crisis in Gaza'

A week after Gomez's Instagram statement, her cosmetics company, Rare Beauty, released its own statement on Instagram.

The Monday post, which reads "humanitarian crisis in Gaza," includes a lengthy caption detailing the company's stance toward the civilian impact of the Israel-Hamas war and vowing to donate to several organizations.

"Thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes & millions of civilians have been displaced & left without access to food, water, medicine, or basic necessities for survival. A large number of these victims are children. Palestinian civilians must be protected, period," the caption reads, in part.

"We remain heartbroken by the horrible terror attack against innocent civilians in Israel on October 7th, many of them also children," the caption says. "There is no situation where attacks on civilians are acceptable. We strongly denounce any & all forms of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia."

In addition to encouraging followers to support groups providing aid in the Middle East and reach out to mental health resources if needed, Rare Beauty is committed to donating to a humanitarian organization working with Israelis as well as one that is dedicated to Palestinians.

The company says it will donate to Magen David Adom, the Israeli Red Cross organization, the Palestine Red Crescent Society, which is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and UNICEF.

Selena Gomez is 'tragically sick' over 'innocent lives' lost

In a following Instagram Story post in October, Gomez also shared how having a 10-year-old sister, Gracie Teefey, impacts how she handles news of the civilian impact of the war.

"Having a sister, everyday has made me tragically sick," she wrote. "I would do anything for children and innocent lives."

More than 3,450 children have reportedly been killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war, UNICEF Spokesperson James Elder said in a press briefing on Oct. 31 in Geneva, Switzerland.

"Gaza has become a graveyard for thousands of children. It’s a living hell for everyone else," Elder said. As he called for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire," Elder added that dehydration and psychological trauma are growing threats to more than 1 million children in Gaza.

During Hamas' surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7 that killed around 1,400 people, militants seized some 240 hostages. A number of them were from the Nova music festival located a few miles from the Gaza Strip, where Hamas gunmen killed more than 260 revelers in the biggest civilian massacre in Israeli history, according to the Associated Press.

More than 200 hostages are still being held by Hamas.

'Barbaric acts of terrorism': Gal Gadot, Jamie Lee Curtis among 700 entertainers denouncing Hamas' terrorism

To post or not to post on social media

Experts warn that you should seek greater context before sharing anything on social media. It's perfectly acceptable – and even preferred – for you to abstain from posting if you don't know enough about what you're talking about.

Social media infographics, of course, can be helpful resources in educating those who are uninformed. It's when people don't go beyond theses sources that trouble looms. Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, says: "There are positive, important things that we can do with postings on social media. But the boundaries are not clear. And the abuses are quite evident."

So if social media infographic posting and reposting isn't the right answer, what is?

"My advice to people is always to read a broad spectrum of media outlets, including media from the region, and to understand what it is that they’re reading," says Sarah Parkinson, assistant professor of political science and international studies at Johns Hopkins University.

"Search the outlet, read a Wikipedia page on it; don’t just go to one news source to understand any situation," Parkinson adds. "Verify that what you're reading a credible outlet or source. Seek out local voices and establish who they are."

'We need to see the nuances': Israel, Gaza and when your social media posts hurt more than help

Contributing: David Oliver, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty will donate to Israeli, Palestinian orgs