Ofcom’s online safety supervision director has been suspended after anti-Israel comments were posted on her private Instagram account.
Posts under Fadzai Madzingira’s account were made after in the aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
Screengrabs published by the Guido Fawkes website appear to show posts from Ms. Madzingira’s account describing Israel as an “apartheid state” and liking a post criticising Israel and the UK as being a “vile colonial alliance.”
In a short statement released on Monday evening, the watchdog confirmed it had suspended the online safety chief.
“Having reviewed these comments we’ve suspended this colleague, pending further investigation,” an Ofcom spokesperson said.
Missing
At least six Britons were killed in Hamas’s “pogrom” in Israel and a further 10 are missing, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told MPs on Monday as he increased aid to the Palestinian people by a third.
Conservative MP for Stone Sir William Cash called on Ofcom to “deal with” as a matter of “impartiality” reports that one of its directors supported comments critical of Israel.
Speaking in the House of Commons following a statement by the prime minister, he said: “Will the attorney general be asked to provide a legal note, if not a full opinion, given for example that one of Ofcom’s directors […] is reported to be supporting posts, this week itself, arguing that the government’s support for Israel is a vile colonial alliance, referring to ethnic cleansing, and genocide of Palestinians?
“And Ofcom must surely be told that it must deal with this at once as a matter of impartiality, quite apart from any criminal action that may be needed under terrorist or criminal law.”
Mr. Sunak said: “I’ll ensure that the attorney looks into it, and, more generally, just say, I absolutely endorse those describing these attacks calling them what they are, which are attacks of terror by a terrorist organisation.”
British Girl Dead
On Tuesday, it was confirmed a British teenager was among those murdered by Hamas during its attack on Israel.Yahel Sharabi, 13, was killed along with her mother, Lianne, while her elder sister, Noiya, 16, and her father, Eli, are still missing.
The teenager disappeared after terrorists attacked Kibbutz Be’eri and murdered her British-born mother.
The girl’s death has been confirmed by her family, the Israeli Embassy in London said.
Updating the Cabinet with the latest developments from the conflict, Mr. Sunak told ministers Hamas was responsible for the “murder and suspected abduction of British nationals.”
Britain urged Israel to restore the supply of water to Gaza, and refused to say whether its ally is complying with international law during its siege.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said talks are ongoing with Israel as the UK is “keen to see water restored,” as he declined to say whether Israel had kept within legal limits.
“We continue to urge Israel, as a democracy we work closely with, to act within international law in their actions. I think they are taking steps to do that,” he said.
Israeli air strikes continued early on Tuesday, even inside the evacuation zone where Israel had told residents to gather in advance of the expected ground assault on Gaza.
