Abubaker Abed told MPs and journalists “we will resist” at Westminster after previously invoking Al-Qassam Brigades online.
A Gazan who on 7 October talked of the “unprecedented reaction of the Ezzedeen Al-Qassam brigades, which Insha’Allah will bode well for the long-waited liberation” appeared this week at a panel event held inside the House of Commons, alongside the head of Oxfam GB and SNP MP Brendan O’Hara.
Abubaker Abed told attendees: “Palestine will resist. We will resist until the liberation. Even if our old and young are dying… we are seeds and will grow and bloom.”
The young man writes regularly for outlets including Al Jazeera, Middle East Eye and Iranian State channel Press TV, announcing six months ago that he was “proud to be named Press TV journalist of the year.”
The panel took place in a Commons committee room, with parliamentary branding visible and a large Oxfam GB banner displayed behind the speakers. Oxfam’s chief executive, Halima Begum, was seated to Abed’s left throughout, and Brendan O’Hara MP, the SNP’s foreign affairs spokesperson, appeared on his right. Several other panellists also took part in the event but have not yet been publicly identified.
The event has drawn scrutiny after it emerged that on 7 October 2023, as Hamas’s assault on Israel began, Abed posted on social media: “I hope that the unprecedented reaction of Al-Qassam Brigades will bring the long-awaited liberation.”
The Al-Qassam Brigades are the core military strength of Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK.
In January of this year Abed tweeted: “I am a Holocaust survivor. Alhamdulillah” – a statement widely criticised online as trivialising Holocaust identity.
During the panel, Abed told attendees: “I actually don’t ask my killer to help me,” in response to a question from an MP about the UK government. In a follow-up post, he wrote: “This palace was built on our blood, colonialism and imperialism. We have to dismantle this empire.”
Photo Credit: Heidi Bachram/X
The House of Commons told Jewish News they could not provide details of the booking, as the event was organised by an external organisation. Oxfam GB has not shared any details about the panel on its public channels.
In a statement to Jewish News, an Oxfam spokesperson confirmed:
“The cross-party event was organised with Brendan O’Hara MP and in partnership with the Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu). It aimed to provide a rare, first-hand account of life in Gaza after nearly two years of destruction, during a time when international media access to the territory remains heavily restricted. Those attending had the opportunity to question or challenge the speaker.
“Oxfam condemns all violence and targeting of civilians and is committed to ensuring a just and lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis. We are calling on the Government to use every lever to help ensure an immediate and lasting ceasefire. Helping Palestinians share their experiences of life in Gaza is an important way to influence our leaders but it doesn’t mean we share all their views.”
Brendan O’Hara MP and Abubaker Abed have also been contacted for comment.
Additional questions have been raised about Oxfam GB’s communications focus. Although CEO Halima Begum described Sudan as “the worst humanitarian crisis of all” in an April blog, the charity’s main Twitter account has subsequently posted once about Sudan and approximately 70 times about Gaza.
17/07/2025 by JEWISH NEWS
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