David Cameron slams BBC for not calling Hamas ‘terrorists’ – after claim Brit-Israeli hostage Nadav Popplewell has died
SICK hostage videos of a British national must be a “wake-up call” for BBC bosses, David Cameron blasted today.
The Foreign Secretary demanded the Beeb do right by Britain and label Hamas a terrorist organisation.
It came after militants aired a new propaganda video on Saturday showing dual-national Nadav Poplewell.
Hamas claimed the 51-year-old is now dead after sustaining wounds from an IDF strike.
Mr Popplewell’s brother was killed in Israel during the October 7 massacre, while his mother was released as part of the November ceasefire hostage exchange.
The Foreign Office is investigating the sick footage.
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On the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg program, Mr Cameron said: “I watched that video and you just think what callous people they are to do that, to play with the family’s emotions in that way.
“And maybe it’s a moment actually for the BBC to ask itself again, should we describe these people as terrorists? They are terrorists.
“If you kidnap grandmothers, if you kidnap babies, if you rape people, if you shoot children in front of their parents – what more do they need to do for the BBC to say ‘look these are terrorists’.
“They really are.”
It came as tens of thousands more Palestinians were warned by the IDF to evacuate Rafah.
Flyers on social media and dropped across Gaza by air directed civilians to the al-Mawasi “expanded humanitarian zone”.
Israel vowed to proceed with a Rafah incursion, despite stern warnings from US President Joe Biden against the move.
Mr Cameron said: “For there to be a major offensive in Rafah, there would have to be an absolutely clear plan about how you save lives, how you move people out the way, how you make sure they’re fed.
“We have seen no such plan… so we don’t support an offensive in that way.”
While President Biden threatened to withhold the sale of weapons to attack if the IDF continues into Rafah, Mr Cameron said an immediate UK arms embargo wouldn’t be a “wise path”.
He said: “The UK provides less than one per cent of Israel’s weapons and it’s not a state supplier.
“We have a licensing system and those licences can be closed if it’s judged there’s a serious risk of a serious international human rights violation.”
The Foreign Secretary added that stopping arms supplies would “strengthen Hamas” and lessen the chance of a hostage deal.