Sean Penn compared the devastation in Los Angeles caused by ongoing fires to damage in the Middle East, in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper Monday evening.

‘This is kind of been a worst case scenario concern of everyone in the area for a long time,’ the Academy Award-winning actor, 64, told Cooper in an interview in Pacific Palisades, an area charred by the fire.

The Santa Monica, California native continued, ‘It’s sort of, you know, it’s Gaza west up there,’ in a reference to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The Milk star explained how shocking it was to see the fires quickly erupt and eviscerate cities, even in areas where they are an annual concern.

‘We know that there are going to be wildfires in this area … so people do make a choice living in this area,’ the Mystic River star said. ‘But for the people living in, in particular, Pacific Palisades and Altadena and so on, this is so unexpected.’

The Oscar-winning star defended the response amid searing criticism aimed at top officials such as California Governor Gavin Newsome and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bᴀss.

Sean Penn, 64, compared the devastation in Los Angeles caused by ongoing fires to damage in the Middle East, in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper Monday evening, saying, ‘It’s sort of, you know, it’s Gaza west up there’

Firefighters continued their work in the burning residential areas as wildfires continue to wreak havoc in LA Monday 

‘Um, I don’t prescribe too much to the conversations of complaint in terms of reaction,’ the Fast Times at Ridgemont High star said. ‘In fact, I thank every last firefighter we have great firefighters from Cal Fire and LA City, LA County and all of those that have come in.

‘But when you have the kind of winds that that we had, I don’t think mankind has come up with a solution to that is bigger and more powerful than us.’

Read More Jamie Lee Curtis SLAMMED for making comparison to the LA fires

The ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man Walking actor said it was jarring to see a longstanding community wiped away by the blazes.

‘It’s really something to see an entire legacy of a community,’ he said. ‘I think of these nine-year-old kids who everyday would meet each other on the corner on their bikes, knowing every corner and every store and shop owner – and it’s all gone – and so, it’s it’s more personal in that sense.

‘I’m very, very immediately familiar. I’m not going to have to grow to be familiar with this area – so many people that we all know and care about lost their homes.’

Amid a Monday night death toll at 24, the I Am Sam actor said that he was grateful that there were not casualties in line with the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, where estimated death toll was around 220,000 people, according to the United Nations.

‘Thank God not, you know, the number of life lost like we had in Port-au-Prince,’ said the actor, who was involved in the relief efforts 15 years back.

Penn also chat about the efforts his nonprofit organization CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) his made in the wake of the fires, including distributing cash vouchers, N95 masks and hygiene kits to people in need.

The Academy Award-winning actor chat with Cooper Monday in an interview in Pacific Palisades, an area charred by the fire

Amid a Monday night death toll at 24, Penn said that he was grateful that there were not casualties in line with the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, where estimated death toll was around 220,000 people 

‘We were on the ground day one and working in the the principal shelter at the Pasadena Civic Center addressing immediate needs,’ Penn said, ‘which is going to be cash ᴀssistance in particular, which are two kind of categories of there – those who can apply and need navigation on the application.

‘And then there are those who don’t have social security numbers, for various reasons, that we can then apply some of our funds to.’

He added, ‘It just takes a slow closing of one’s eyes to think about what it would mean if all of a sudden everything’s gone. 

‘Along with, of course, the emotional trauma of it – so the cash is a necessary freedom to just get day-by-day.’ 

Penn also chat about the efforts his nonprofit organization CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) his made in the wake of the fires

Officials Monday said the death toll had reached at least 24 people, according to the AP, adding that the total number of victims was expected to increase amid ongoing missing persons searches.

Officials on Monday said that the Palisades Fire was 11 percent contained, while the Eaton Fire was 27 percent contained, after having decimated an estimated area eclipsing 62 square miles. 

The National Weather Service said in red flag warnings that 50 mph winds will continue to aggravate conditions from Monday to Wednesday, with an expected peak on Tuesday. 

On Monday, President Joe Biden urged Congress ‘to step up’ and earmark the tens of billions of dollars it will take to rebuild the affected areas. He said that the federal government plans to pay for expenses over the next 180 days.

The president said at the White House that firefighters and first responders were ‘the angels’ amid their efforts to douse the blazes, while Vice President Kamala Harris said the aftermath of the fires were ‘truly heartbreaking.’