Dawn French sorry for ‘one-sided’ Gaza warfare video

Dawn French has taken down a video she posted on Instagram in regards to the warfare in Gaza, pronouncing she apologised “unreservedly” for it.

The video sparked a backlash, with critics accusing the actress and comic of showing to “mock” the 7 October 2023 assault that prompted the warfare.

On Saturday, French stated on Instagram that the video “appeared one-sided”, and mentioned she by no means intended to “mock, or dismiss, or diminish the horror” of that day.

“I hope you will understand my intention was not to offend, but I clearly have. For which I am sorry and I have removed the video,” she added.

In the 40-second video, posted previous this week, the Vicar of Dibley superstar shared her perspectives at the ongoing warfare, pronouncing: “Complicated, no, but nuanced. But [the] bottom line is no.”

Switching right into a high-pitched voice, she went on to mention: “Yeah, but you know they did a bad thing to us, yeah but no. But we want that land… and we have history… No. Those people aren’t really even people, are they really? No.”

On social media, folks have been fast to criticise her, with actress Tracy-Ann Oberman pronouncing she used to be “so saddened” by way of the submit.

“This mocking voice ‘bad thing’ of October 7 that Dawn (who I revere by the way) appears [to] be mocking involved the most horrific terrorist attack involving rape, sexual violence, burning alive, child mutilation and taking of civilian hostages,” she wrote.

“Why would Dawn seem to deny that which has affected so many of us personally in the most painful way possible.”

MP Rosie Duffield commented on Oberman’s submit, writing: “One can, and should hate what is happening in Gaza and also condemn the hideous events of October 7th.

“It is agonising to peer occasions spread, and calls for extraordinarily cautious, measured and well-considered feedback and movements. This isn’t that.”

Meanwhile, screenwriter and activist Lee Kern known as her video “sneering mockery”.

Responding to the backlash, French said that she had posted a video in the style that she has been using for social media “with the intention to put across crucial level”.

She added that she had “clumsily used a mocking tone”.

“My goal used to be NEVER to mock, or brush aside, or diminish the horror of what took place on 7 October 2023 and what continues to spread from that brutal unthinkable, unforgiveable, savage assault,” she said.

She said her intention had been “to mock and level the finger of disgrace on the behaviour of the tough leaders on both sides of this atrocious warfare”.

“THEY have been my goal, however obviously I failed to try this, and that is the reason on me. I apologise unreservedly, and I’m specifically sorry that my disgust at Hamas did not determine. It gave the impression one-sided and that’s unsuitable.”

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led cross-border attack almost 20 months ago, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

Some 54 of those captured during the attack remain in captivity, including 31 the Israeli military says are dead.

At least 54,607 people have been killed in Gaza since then, including 4,335 since Israel resumed its offensive on 18 March, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.