Hamas official storms out of BBC interview after being quizzed on civilian killings
Ghazi Hamad, a former deputy foreign minister in the Hamas government, was put on the spot by the BBC's Middle East correspondent Hugo Bachega
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
A senior Hamas official stormed out of an interview with the BBC after being asked how terrorists justified killing of Israeli civilians as they slept in their beds.
Ghazi Hamad, a former deputy foreign minister in the Hamas government, was put on the spot by the BBC’s Middle East correspondent Hugo Bachega who highlighted the murder of innocent civilians in the October 7th atrocities.
Asked repeatedly if he believed that Hamas’s murder of civilians in their beds was justified, Hamad ripped off his microphone and said “I want to stop this interview” before storming out.
עליתי לשידור ב BBC מיד אחרי שדובר החמאס הנאצי ימח שמו סיים לשקר.
זה מה שעניתי למגישה: pic.twitter.com/H5M1DiFuOB— איילת שקד Ayelet Shaked (@Ayelet__Shaked) October 27, 2023
Earlier Hamad suggested there was no command to kill any civilians when Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, with terrorists paragliding into the desert, surrounding the Nova Festival and slaughtering 260 festival goers at the rave.
Hamad claimed to the BBC journalist that “because the area was very wide” there “were clashes and confrontation”.
He attempted to repeat claims made starting a few days after the massacre that Hamas did not intend to kill any civilians during its assault.
But pressed on the fact that there could be no confrontation with people who were sleeping in their homes Hamad said, “I can tell you we didn’t have any intention or decision to kill the civilians.”
But as he was grilled again by the journalist Hamad was seen pulling off his microphone attached to his dark-coloured suit jacket and declaring: ‘I want to stop this interview.’
He then threw the microphone onto the floor.
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