News Now: Taylor Swift is facing pressure from fans to ‘speak now’ on the bloodshed in Gaza – with concertgoers taking Palestinian flags to gigs in Madrid and Lisbon.

Taylor Swift is facing pressure from fans to ‘speak now’ on the bloodshed in Gaza – with concertgoers taking Palestinian flags to gigs in Madrid and Lisbon.

Members of the star’s fanbase have started the hashtag ‘SwiftiesForPalestine’ as they urge the singer to break her silence on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Many have shared an open letter calling on the singer to condemn Israeli attacks on Rafah – where 45 Palestinians including women and children were killed in a blaze at a tent encampment on Sunday.

Airstrikes on the area, which was designated a safe zone by Israel, stirred global condemnation, with celebrities including popstar Dua Lipa sharing a viral ‘All Eyes On Rafah’ post on their Instagram.

Swift’s long-term producer Jack Antonoff also posted the image, while the band Paramore, who currently open for Swift in her Era’s Tour, called on fans to support Gaza – piling further pressure on the musician to comment.

Ahead of opening for Swift in Madrid, Paramore called on their fans to donate to Doctors Without Borders, highlighting the work the organisation is doing in Gaza.

The band wrote on their Instagram story: ‘We do not believe that support for our Palestinian friends and family equals anti-Semitism.

‘We love our Jewish friends and family and pray for the safe return of the remaining hostages.

‘That being said, we simply cannot support a genocide. We stand in solidarity with those calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.’

Swift, known for hits such as Cruel Summer and Blank Space, has been labelled one of the world’s ‘most powerful women’.

She has 283 million followers on Instagram, with politicians courting her support which could hold huge sway in the upcoming US election.

As a 22-year-old at the start of her career, Swift said that she would not speak out about political issues.

‘I follow it, and I try to keep myself as educated and informed as possible. But I don’t talk about politics because it might influence other people. And I don’t think that I know enough yet in life to be telling people who to vote for,’ she told Time magazine in 2012.