Hussein Murtaja
Role at the time: Head of a Gaza humanitarian organization providing mental-health support to children, quoted by Reuters
Statement summary
Hussein Murtaja, who runs a Gaza humanitarian organization providing mental-health support to children, told Reuters that Macklemore's public solidarity mattered more than the $1 million he donated, saying that when an artist of Macklemore's stature draws more attention to the cause and to a political solution for Gaza, it means a great deal to Gazans.
“When artists of this stature, with this many followers or fans, all come to know more about the cause, and support reaching a political solution, support achieving peace for the people of Gaza... That means a great deal to us.”
Reuters wire report, September 18, 2026, on a mural painted in Gaza City honoring Macklemore after his removal from Ed Sheeran's tour. It also quotes Hussein Murtaja, who runs a Gaza mental-health organization for children, saying Macklemore's solidarity "matters more than the money he donated," and Toby Fricker, a UNICEF official, on the need for sustained rather than one-off support. CBS News carried the same reporting as a video segment on X; this record cites the fuller wire text via the Jerusalem Post republication, credited to Reuters and photographer Dawoud Abu Alkas.
Why we used this label
Murtaja praises the value of Macklemore's public stance itself, independent of the donation, which endorses the conduct under scrutiny. There is no competing label to weigh; the statement is a direct, unqualified endorsement of Macklemore speaking out.