New York: Longtime American actor and playwright Wallace Shawn has sparked controversy by comparing Israel's treatment of Gaza to the actions of Nazi Germany, labeling them "demonically evil." Shawn, who is renowned for his roles in films like The Princess Bride and Toy Story, made these remarks on a podcast released Monday.

According to Anadolu Agency, Shawn, 81, criticized Israel's offensive in Gaza, which has resulted in over 47,000 deaths and more than 111,000 injuries. He accused Israel of invading and taking over territory in a manner reminiscent of Nazi actions against Jews. Shawn elaborated that Israel's actions are egregious, claiming, "In some ways, it's worse because they kind of boast about it. Hitler had the decency to try to keep it secret. The Israelis are almost proud of it, and it's demonically evil. You can't be more evil."

Shawn further condemned Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza, which has been widely denounced internationally. He highlighted the dire situation where civilians are deprived of essential supplies such as food and medicine, and hospitals are being targeted by bombings. "The whole world knows that they are starving people, preventing children from getting medicine on purpose, and bombing hospitals," he stated.

Despite facing criticism from the Jewish community and others, Shawn, who is Jewish himself, has consistently been a vocal critic of Israeli policies. He has previously written on these issues and isn't the first to draw parallels between Israel and Nazi Germany. Shawn also speculated that some Israelis might eventually question their current support for military actions in Gaza and the West Bank, pondering, "I suspect that some Israelis who today support what their country is doing in Gaza or the West Bank will stand up in 10 years and ask themselves, 'How did I justify this?'"