Barbadian singer Rihanna is facing questions after deleting a tweet featuring the hashtag #FreePalestine.
The star tweeted the hashtag yesterday before deleting it eight minutes later.
A source told US entertainment news website TMZ, which first reported the story, that it was never meant to be sent out.
At the time of deletion, the post had been retweeted more than 4000 times.
Rihanna tweeted again several hours later, this time wishing for a peaceful end to the conflict.
People have since taken to Twitter to question why Rihanna took the original post down, with some suggesting she was under pressure.
A social media expert at Queensland University of Technology says just like members of the public, celebrities can tweet quickly and without thinking when reacting to something they feel strongly about.
Doctor Axel Bruns thinks Rihanna’s decision to delete the tweet was not the best strategy, as it leaves her open to accusations of pandering.
“It would possibly in this sort of case be better to say ‘I support a free Palestine, but I also support the continued right of Israel to exist as a country’ ,” he says.
“It might be better perhaps to explain your views rather than just pretend you never had them”.
SBS's Phillippa Carisbrooke speaks with social media expert Dr Axel Bruns
Rihanna is not the first celebrity to delete a tweet containing the #FreePalestine hashtag.
One of the NBA's most well-known basketballers - Dwight Howard of the Houston Rockets - apologised on Sunday after using the hashtag in a tweet.
Some have praised the pair for commenting at all while others have accused them of being cowards for backtracking.
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