Spanish actor Javier Bardem, tasked with presenting an award at Sunday's Oscars ceremony, declared upon arriving at the Dolby Theatre that it is necessary to speak about "things that matter," and delivered a pointed condemnation of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which he described as an "illegal war."

"We must take advantage of occasions like this to speak about things that matter. Cinema must be celebrated… but we must also use this platform to address what has caused so much pain in the world," Bardem told EFE on the red carpet of the most prestigious awards in American cinema, held Sunday in Los Angeles.

The actor wore the same "No to War" badge he had displayed in 2003 in protest of the Iraq War, and stated that the current conflict in the Middle East is illegal because it is "based on lies."

"We are in the same situation as before — another illegal war, killing innocent people, based on lies. Back then it was weapons of mass destruction; now it is about toppling a regime, which they have not toppled but are instead further radicalizing through this illegal offensive," he stressed.

Bardem reiterated his support for the people of Gaza and raised his voice to call for Palestinian freedom, which he also expressed through a pin bearing the Palestinian flag worn alongside the anti-war badge.

He was one of the few figures on the red carpet to publicly speak out against the conflict, now entering its third week of renewed offensive action.

"That is why I am here — to do both things at once: to be part of this circus," he said, referring to the Oscars, "and, at the same time, to denounce what must be denounced."

Sunday's ceremony features Sinners as the leading film with sixteen nominations, followed by One Battle After Another with thirteen, and both Sentimental Value and Frankenstein with nine nominations each.