Robinson refers to Hamas as ‘a group that Netanyahu calls terrorists’ on BBC show

‘The fact that the BBC does not recognise Hamas as a terror group requires a complete legal battle’

THE BBC’S Nick Robinson has ignored Lord Cameron’s demand to refer to Hamas as “terrorists”.

A day after the Foreign Secretary’s intervention, Mr Robinson took part in a discussion on Radio 4’s Today programme about Israel’s military operations in southern Gaza.

He asked Jo Floto, the BBC’S Middle East bureau editor: “Is there a sense that Benjamin Netanyahu is walking a political tightrope, proceeding with military action against what he says are the remaining targets of the group he calls terrorists, Hamas?”

Appearing on the BBC’S Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Lord Cameron condemned Hamas for releasing a video showing Nadav Popplewell, a British-israel hostage.

The group claims Mr Popplewell died in Gaza after being wounded in an Israeli strike.

Lord Cameron said: “Maybe it’s a moment, actually, for the BBC to ask itself again, shall we describe these people as terrorists? They are terrorists.”

But the BBC is not changing its policy. A spokesman said: “No one consuming BBC News can be left unaware of the horrific nature of Hamas’s acts.

“We’ve made our long-standing position on this matter very clear.

“We use the word ‘terrorist’ when it is attributed to others, such as the UK Government.”

John Simpson, the BBC’S world affairs editor, previously said: “We don’t take sides. We don’t use loaded words like ‘evil’ or ‘cowardly’. We don’t talk about ‘terrorists’.

“It’s simply not the BBC’S job to tell people who to support and who to condemn - who are the good guys and who are the bad guys.”

Mr Robinson’s wording was criticised by Sir Michael Fabricant, the Tory MP, who said on social media: “Why does [Mr Robinson] say on [the Today programme] ‘Hamas, a terrorist organisation as Israel would say’ when Hamas is a terrorist organisation and is proscribed as such by the United Kingdom and EU?” In the weeks after the Oct 7 atrocities, Israel condemned the BBC over its refusal to refer to Hamas as terrorists.

Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, said: “I feel the BBC reporting is atrocious. The fact that the BBC does not recognise Hamas as a terror organisation requires a complete legal battle and public battle. It’s unbelievable.

“What other type of torture do they want before they decide it was a terrorist organisation?”

The BBC said in October that its journalists would no longer use “militants” as the default term for Hamas, and would instead describe them as a group “proscribed as a terror organisation by the UK Government and others”.

Deborah Turness, the chief executive of news and current affairs at the BBC, has also addressed the issue.

“The BBC uses the word ‘terrorist’ with attribution,” she said of the corporation’s coverage.

“We have moved away from using the word ‘militant’ as a default description of Hamas and Hezbollah fighters.”

Ms Turness added:“but we don’t ban words, and there may be times now or in the future when it is appropriate to use the term.”