Israeli actor Gal Gadot has been awarded Israel's Genesis Prize in recognition for her supporting of Israel's war on Gaza.

Israel said that its war was to "destroy Hamas", following the 7 October attacks, but organisations including the United Nations and Amnesty International have found that it was committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, having killed over 69,000 Palestinians since October 2023.

The Genesis Prize, nicknamed "the Jewish Nobel" by Time magazine, is awarded annually to an individual for their professional achievements, contributions to humanity, and commitment to Jewish values.

Winners have donated the award to promote causes such as battling antisemitism, advancing women's rights or fighting for economic justice.

Criticism of Israel has become widespread in Hollywood, where hundreds of industry workers, including some leading directors and actors, recently pledged to boycott the Israeli film industry.

Throughout the war, Gadot, who served in the Israeli military after high school, remained a fervent advocate for Israel. She campaigned for the release of captives held by Hamas, and met with captive families and released captives.

The actor also helped promote the screening in Los Angeles of a graphic film documenting the October attack, which ended up in a brawl amid poor attendance.

Gadot, who played the wicked stepmother in "Snow White," has said she believes 'anti-Israel pressure' was a factor in the film's poor performance early this year, despite its critical panning.

When she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last March, supporters of Israel and of Palestinians clashed nearby. In August, hundreds of people from the film industry signed a letter calling on the Venice Film Festival to withdraw an invitation to Gadot. The festival's director rejected the call, though Gadot did not attend.

Stan Polovets, the co-founder and chair of the Genesis Prize Foundation, praised Gadot's "moral clarity and unwavering love for Israel," saying it had come at great personal and professional risk.

A date for the awards ceremony next year was not immediately announced. The most recent winner, Argentine President Javier Milei, came to Jerusalem in June to receive the 2025 award.

Previous winners include former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, actor Michael Douglas, violinist Itzhak Perlman, sculptor Anish Kapoor, filmmaker Steven Spielberg, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, former Soviet political prisoner Natan Sharansky, Pfizer chair and CEO Albert Bourla, and entertainer Barbra Streisand.