Singer Ed Sheeran performed Saturday in Philadelphia, his first concert in the U.S. after last week's controversy over the exclusion of rapper Macklemore from his tour, and said that what is happening in Gaza is "catastrophic, unjustifiable and disproportionate."

The American was his opening act and was banned for his pro-Palestinian statements from the stage during the Englishman's 'Loop Tour.'

According to Variety magazine, before the concert, the British artist said he is not an activist but confessed that the controversy surrounding Macklemore placed him "in the middle of an important and passionate debate about freedom of expression and the most complex political issue on the planet."

"Fulfilling my commitment to my fans is also fundamental to my identity, and that is why I am here tonight alone, continuing with my current tour," the singer stated.

However, Sheeran also took advantage of the microphone to say a few words about the Palestinian conflict during the performance at Lincoln Financial Field.

"What happened in Israel and at the Nova Music Festival on October 7 was horrible and compounded centuries of Jewish suffering. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic, unjustifiable and disproportionate. We are deeply pained by the magnitude of the devastation and the loss of civilian and child lives, and the systemic injustice we are witnessing in the West Bank cannot be overlooked," he said.

Sheeran also indicated that this week he has had to "make difficult decisions, I am making mistakes, and I am very sorry," when some fans doubted whether they would attend to see him despite having tickets, according to local media.

Macklemore denounced on Monday that he had been excluded from Sheeran's tour for making comments in favor of Palestine on September 4 and 5 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey when he was opening the Englishman's show, and accused tycoon Robert Kraft, owner of a stadium in Massachusetts, where the tour will arrive, of urging other venue owners to boycott him.

After the controversy, Messina Touring Group, the promoter of the U.S. leg of the 'Loop Tour,' announced that Macklemore would no longer participate in the remaining dates. The company stated that the venues had told them they would not allow concerts with Macklemore to be held, the magazine also indicated.

Sheeran reiterated that he is "deeply" concerned by the idea that venues pre-approve the content of performances. "This happens in many places where I perform around the world, but it should never happen in the free world," he maintained.

He also assured his fans that he is holding conversations with people from various sectors "to find out how to contribute in a way that helps the victims of these terrible times, and I am listening and learning because I don't know enough."

Irish artists Aaron Rowe and Beoga, the Danish band Lukas Graham and producer and musician Finneas Eilish, brother of singer Billie Eilish, as well as the Irish folk group Beoga, announced their withdrawal from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore and the Palestinian people.