Starts now. Ill also be joined by sarah oral panel this evening. The editor of conservative home, paul goodman, and gb news senior political commentator nigel nelson. As always , i want to nelson. As always, i want to hear from you. Its a crucial part of the programme. Email me, mailmogg gbnews. Com. But now its time the of the its time for the news of the day with polly middlehurst. Jake webb, thanks very much indeed. Lets begin this news bulletin with some breaking news thats just come to us in the last few minutes. Were hearing from terror group hamas. It from the terror group hamas. It says released two hostages, says its released two hostages, we. And according to we understand. And according to hamas, families have been hamas, their families have been informed. We also gather that the two hostages may be elderly people. Its not known at this stage any other further details. But we do know that local Israeli Television channel 12 have repeated this report, which would seem to suggest there is something to this report from hamas. We dont know at this stage whether those hostages are israeli or whether they have dual nationality, but that news to us in the last ten minutes or so, hamas says it has released two hostages. And we understand israeli local tv is reporting that that is the case. If we get any more on that, of course, we will bring it to you right here, gb news. Now, today, the Prime Minister has confirmed that the gaza hospital blast last week was likely caused by a missile launching towards israel. Rishi sunak says the hospital blast was caused by a missile or part of one that came from within gaza. He also said the uk is providing an additional £20 million in aid to civilians in gaza, as well as deploying raf and royal naval personnel to the region. Region. The British Government judges that the explosion was likely caused by a missile or part of one that was launched from within gaza towards israel. The within gaza towards israel. The misreporting of this incident had a negative effect in the region on including on a vital Us Diplomatic effort and on tensions here at home. We need to learn the lessons and ensure that in future there is no rush. That in future there is no rush. To judgement. To judgement. Meanwhile, the met Police Commissioner has told the home secretary today the government may need to toughen up the law on crime and terrorism. It on hate crime and terrorism. It comes rowley met comes after sir mark rowley met with braverman khan to with Suella Braverman khan to discuss forces decision not discuss the forces decision not to protesters, calling to arrest protesters, calling for jihad against israel at forjihad against israel at demonstrations over the weekend, sir mark said horrific and gruesome attacks by hamas had already aggravate did our own terrorist threats in the uk with hate crime against jewish communities, up 31 fold compared to this time last year . Sir mark said. 34 arrests have been made, so far and the force is trying to identify another 22 suspect. S from photography. Were cancelled the law we cant enforce taste or decency , cant enforce taste or decency, but we can enforce the law conversation has finished really around the line of the law and its our job to enforce to that line. Its parliaments job to draw that line and the thought that maybe events of the moment are illustrating. Maybe some of the lines arent quite in the right place. Meanwhile, a London Underground driver who led a free palestine chant on his packed train has been suspended. Three hope you will have a blessed day today. Look after yourself after heanng look after yourself after hearing that on social media, transport for london, said the driver who led the chant on saturday was suspended pending their pending their further investigation. The incident happened on saturday as around 100,000 protesters took part in pro palestinian demonstrations in london, footage posted online by journalists appeared to show the chant being led over the trains speaker system. Now a trains speaker system. Now a body has been found in the search for a man who was reported as being trapped in his vehicle in floodwater. Later in aberdeenshire in scotland. Aberdeenshire in scotland. Meanwhile, a man who died after a tree struck his van near forfar in angus during storm babet on thursday has been named as john gillen, the 56 year old was pronounced dead at the scene following the incident. Youre following the incident. Youre with gb news across the uk on tv in your car, on Digital Radio and on your Smart Speaker by saying play gb news. This is britains news channel. On britains news channel. On centre oral to the israel palestine debate is the question of moral equivalence. Question of moral equivalence. Time and again we see an attempt to equate the israeli state with hamas or indeed the actions of the idf with the indiscriminate acts of Hamas Terrorists. But as ive said on this program before, there no this program before, there is no real equivalence. Over the real moral equivalence. Over the weekend, moral disparity weekend, this moral disparity displayed itself clearly on the streets of london. A pro palestine march took place in which 100,000 people were on the streets in support of palestine. Now, most of these, the vast majority of these were peaceful and merely exercising their legitimate right to protest. However there is equally no doubt that this movement has provided a space for extremists to thrive. A for extremists to thrive. A rally was held by the known Islamist Group hizb ut tahrir , Islamist Group hizb ut tahrir, in which the speakers called for jihad , and the only solution is jihad, and the only solution is jihad, and the only solution is jihad by the armies of the muslim countries , not by you. Muslim countries, not by you. Me, who we are training to our help. There are people with arms in egypt, in pakistan , in arms in egypt, in pakistan, in saudi arabia , in in jordan, saudi arabia, in in jordan, across the muslim world. You might say that this is just a few fringe actors, but if you brought the picture out, you could see from the footage that there were hundreds of people present. Hizb ut tahrir stated aim is the re establishment of the caliphate and the global enforcement of sharia. Islamic law, a figurehead for the group, has called Hamas Terrorists heroes. But this event posed heroes. But this event posed a difficult challenge for the police as the metropolitan Police Statement said after the event. The word jihad has event. The word jihad has a number of meanings , but we know number of meanings, but we know the public will most commonly associated with terrorism specialist officers have assessed the video and have not identified any offences arising from the specific clip. We have also sought advice from the Specialist Crown Prosecution Service who have reached Service Lawyers who have reached the same conclusion. Well, it the same conclusion. Well, it didnt there. An individual didnt end there. An individual had this to say at protest had this to say at the protest at a local bar. Nana to lawyer ella toone matthew laza. Nana to lala. Lala matthew laza. Nana to lala. Lala to eliyahu nana. Eliyahu nana to to eliyahu nana. Eliyahu nana to originally , the metropolitan originally, the metropolitan Police Released the following statement the flags in this photograph are not those of isis. They are the shahada, which is a declaration of faith in islam. Isis flags may appear similar, but are not the same. We have specialist officers with knowledge of flags working on this operation to assist with these assessments, but when the Canadian Human Rights activist yasmin mohammed, among others, translate the arabic of this individual as may allahs curse, be on infidels , may allahs be on infidels, may allahs curse, be on the jews. The curse, be on the jews. The metropolitan deleted its metropolitan Police Deleted its tweet announced the tweet and announced the individual had been arrested tweet and announced the indivi suspicion|een arrested tweet and announced the indivi suspicion ofn arrested tweet and announced the indivi suspicion of incitement to under suspicion of incitement to racial hatred. This not racial hatred. This is not particularly easy for the police. And as the metropolitan Police Commissioner, sir mark rowley, said today, the line of the must drawn by the law must be drawn by politicians, by the police. Politicians, not by the police. And fair enough. Were and this is fair enough. Were always discussing this always discussing on this programme balance between programme the balance between free and counter Free Expression and counter extremism laws. But make no extremism laws. But make no mistake about these individuals, their flags and their chants, they are islamist extremists. Meanwhile, on sunday, a vigil was held by the British Jewish Community calling for the return of hostages. Obe been brought of hostages. Obe been brought this. There were no calls for this. There were no calls for jihad in islamist rallies, no curses upon ethnic minorities, no fighting with the police , no no fighting with the police, no balaclavas, no smoke grenades , balaclavas, no smoke grenades, just the National Anthem and a commemoration of the deceased. But in any movement, commemoration of the deceased. But in any movement , there is but in any movement, there is a duty to draw a line around the extremists who feel empowered by it, to expose them and to root them out. As the case of idf and hamas, there is no moral equivalence. As always, i want to hear from you. Let me know your thoughts. At your thoughts. May almog at gbnews. Com. Particularly gb news. Com. Im particularly pleased gbnews. Com. Im particularly pleased this evening to be joined by david lord anderson, who served as the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation between 2011 and 2017. David thank you for coming in and do you think, first of all, that the police have the powers they need to arrest extremists and differentiate between extremists and freedom of speech . Theyve got a pretty full arsenal of powers where terrorist speeches concerned after the attacks on london, you might remember in 2005, the bombing attacks on the tube and the bus, the Parliament Debated and then passed into law. A new offence of encouraging terrorism. And that includes terrorism. And that includes saying anything that glorifies terrorism. If youre trying to terrorism. If youre trying to encourage other people to emulate it , encourage other people to emulate it, then even before that, we had an offence of inciting support for a terrorist organisation. Hamas of course, is a terrorist organisation , not is a terrorist organisation, not just its military wing, but the whole hamas government is a terrorist organisation. Ian and we tightened that one up, as you might remember, in 2019. So that if you express support for a terrorist organisation or agreement with its beliefs, then that constitutes incitement. If that constitutes incitement. If you are reckless as to its effect on other people, then beyond that you mentioned in your clip the offence of inciting racial hatred, calling down curses on the jews is a clear example of that inciting hatred on grounds of religion. Hatred on grounds of religion. The jews would qualify both as a race and as a religious group. So theres a pretty comprehensive armoury of criminal offences, incidentally, with very high maximum penalties. You can get 14 or 15 years for inciting support or encouraging terrorism. So the Police Coming out, the commissioner of the metropolitan Police Coming out and saying the politicians need to redraw the line isnt really fair on the politicians , is it, that theyve politicians, is it, that theyve got the powers they need, but they have used their discretion often to enforce likely when people have been saying really some pretty appalling things. Well those powers were intensely debated in parliament. I remember the debates on religious hatred where you should draw the line, the debates on glorifying terrorism and the initial proposal was that any glorification of terrorism would be punished. And terrorism would be punished. And then someone pointed out that Nelson Mandela was a was a terrorist. Robert, the bruce was a terrorist. And terrorism goes back in time. It goes across national boundaries. It was national boundaries. So it was it slightly reduced. But it was slightly reduced. But i must say, i think it would would have been surprising to a lot of people who were in parliament dunng people who were in parliament during debates to feel during those debates to feel that people could with impunity be jihad in that be chant for jihad in that context, on the streets of london and not be punished for it. And the sympathy, i suppose, one has the police is that one has for the police is that the chants need to be translated. The flags need to be translated. They say they have specialist but that specialist officers, but that clearly a of time, clearly takes a bit of time, whereas many people whereas i think many people would to see arrests made would like to see arrests made on the spot and people chanting abuse pulled out of crowds immediately. Immediately. Yes. I mean, certainly the main obligation of the police, as it seems to me, when it comes to a rally or a procession of that kind, is to protect other people. So no one should be intimidated or threatened or harassed. And the only way you can deal with that is by acting at and it is difficult at the time. And it is difficult and understand that the jihad and i understand that the jihad in incident might have related to the question of who are they actually calling on. And if they were standing outside an embassy, as i believe they were , embassy, as i believe they were, and summoning the muslim armies of the arab to world assist hamas, then at least arguably , hamas, then at least arguably, they werent inciting support. They werent inciting support. They werent encouraging hamas itself. They were encouraging other people. But it was a pretty fine distinction. Thats a pretty tidy distinction, isnt it, to say that if youre inside a legitimate authority to support an Illegitimate Authority that is legitimate, but if youre just inciting the Illegitimate Authority directly , Illegitimate Authority directly, thats illegitimate . Well, perhaps this is what happens when you have lawyers with you, which, course, police did which, of course, the police did have. They crime have. I mean, they had crime prosecution with Prosecution Service lawyers with them were doubt bending them who were no doubt bending over backwards to be fair. But, over backwards to be fair. But, yes, it was perhaps a surprising outcome , bearing in mind the outcome, bearing in mind the strength of the laws that the police have at their side. And this seems to be much less of a freedom of speech issue than you might have thought it would be thought that it would be perfectly reasonable for somebody chant, saying that somebody to chant, saying that palestine should have its own territory or that the people of palestine should be treated and carefully if israel retaliates, all of that would be perfectly legitimate. Nobody would be questioning it. But this is actually chanting that is saying the terrorist acts are right and jihad, this word that can mean so many things is clearly being used to mean a war against the infidel and the jews. Well, i mean, i wasnt there from your clip. I would agree. As you know, jihad, its one of these words a bit like crusade for christians. You know, you can having a moral can talk about having a moral crusade. It doesnt mean youre actually wanting to the actually wanting to slit the throats of muslims. And equally, that the shaheed flag, that flag, the shaheed flag, looks like isis flag, looks very like the isis flag, but contains holy texts. But it contains holy texts. So i suppose the other thing the police had to bear in mind is that in the realm of that they were in the realm of religious and for religious expression. And for that reason they felt they had to very gently and then to tread very gently and then come out and say that its all the politicians fault in the end, which seems a bit of a wet response. Well, i think i should say ive got Great Respect for mark rowley. I had a lot to do with him aftermath of the with him in the aftermath of the Manchester Attack and the london attacks he was in attacks of 2017 when he was in charge counter terrorism. And charge of counter terrorism. And when he stopped doing that job, charge of counter terrorism. And when he he pped doing that job, charge of counter terrorism. And when he he thoughting that job, charge of counter terrorism. And when he he thought hedlat job, charge of counter terrorism. And when he he thought hed retired he when he thought hed retired from spent two from the police, he spent two years his own time, you know, years of his own time, you know, looking into this and looking into whether there was a gap in the had to be filled. The law that had to be filled. But think if hes right but i think even if hes right in his prescription , i dont in his prescription, i dont think it would have made any difference here. I mean, what he is saying is that there should be laws to criminalise the creation of a space where terrorism can take root. In other words, he wants to take the law a step further back from the law a step further back from the actual commission of a violent act. And try to penalise groups who dont themselves preach violence. And his book, preach violence. And his book, tahrir, is an example of this. Its an Islamist Group. You its an Islamist Group. You know, you could compare it in a way to a communist group, if you like. They want a state founded