WATCH: Hamas Spokesman Walks out of BBC Interview After Being Challenged over Killing Families

British state broadcaster the BBC interviewed a Hamas spokesman who, when challenged on “killing people as they sleep”, terminated the discussion.

Ghazi Hamad, described by The Times of Israel as a “senior Hamas official,” was interviewed by the BBC in Beirut, where he lives, on Thursday, but threw his microphone on the ground and walked out after the conversation turned to the massacre of civilians by his organisation in October’s terrorist attack. In footage released by the broadcaster Hamad, who has been a frequent guest on BBC programmes going back decades, insisted the October 7th attack was purely military and not aimed at civilians.

At first, Hamad stuck to Hamas talking points and told the BBC that the “military operation” was “directed” against “military soldiers who imposed sanctions and collective punishment on our people”. He also said he could “confirm and assure again and again” that there was “no command. No command to kill any civilians”.

He told the broadcaster, appearing to imply any civilian deaths were accidental, that: “because that area is very wide, there are many people there, there were clashes and confrontations… I don’t have details [of what] happened inside. But I can tell you that we didn’t have any intention or decision to kill the civilians.”

This claim came despite the growing body of often deeply disturbing evidence that Hamas terrorists did directly target civilians, killing some 1,200 people in Israel earlier this month. When challenged by the BBC interviewer, who asked “how do you justify killing people as they sleep. You know, families”, Hamad responded coldly, taking the microphone off his jacket and saying: “I want to stop this interview. I want to stop this.”

BBC: “How do you justify killing civilians?”

Hamas Spokesman: “Our attack was targetted on military sites. No command was given to kill civilians.”

BBC: “But hundreds of civilians were killed, entire families, in their sleep.”

Hamas Spokesman: “I want to stop this interview.” pic.twitter.com/XSZpVGatZd

— Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) October 27, 2023

Nearly three weeks after the Hamas surprise terrorist attack, Israel appears to be continuing to prepare for a ground invasion of Gaza. A prelude to such action appears to have taken place overnight into Thursday morning, with a column of forces pressing forwards to attack anti-tank defences as an apparently prelude to a larger, later strike. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country is fighting “for our existence” and was preparing “for a ground incursion” but would not be drawn on the where and when, “in order to better safeguard the lives of our soldiers.”

Editor’s Note:  This story was updated to reflect a revised number on the death toll from the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel. The Israeli government estimate of 1,400 was revised to around 1,200, according to Reuters.