(NewsNation) — Amid backlash, the BBC defended their decision not to label Hamas as “terrorists” during coverage of the group’s terror attacks in Israel.

According to reports, a spokesperson for the broadcaster said it was a long-standing position for its reporters not to use the term themselves unless attributing it to someone else.

The spokesperson offered the following statement: “We always take our use of language very seriously. Anyone watching or listening to our coverage will hear the word ‘terrorist’ used many times — we attribute it to those who are using it, for example, the U.K. Government. This is an approach that has been used for decades, and is in line with that of other broadcasters. The BBC is an editorially independent broadcaster whose job is to explain precisely what is happening ‘on the ground’ so our audiences can make their own judgement.”

According to Fox News, journalist Noah Abrahams said he quit the BBC over the network’s decision.

Variety reports BBC Derby sports reporter Noah Abrahams also resigned, saying, “The BBC’s refusal to use the correct terminology is unjustified.”

John Simpson, the BBC’s world affairs editor, defended the broadcaster, saying, “Terrorism is a loaded word, which people use about an outfit they disapprove of morally. It’s simply not the BBCs job to tell people who to support and who to condemn, who are the good guys, and who are the bad guys. We regularly point out that the British and other governments have condemned Hamas as a terrorist organization. But that’s their business. Our business is to present our audience with the facts.”

NewsNation host Dan Abrams asks: Is the word terrorism somehow “loaded”?

Hagar Chemali, former spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, weighed in on “Dan Abrams Live.”

“I think it’s disgusting and repugnant,” she said. “Terrorism has a definition that is agreed upon at the United Nations, as well. It is when someone or a group seeks to harm or kill innocent civilians in order to achieve ideological or political goals. It’s very simple, actually.”

Chemali called BBC decision a matter of opinion.

“That proof of acts doesn’t make a difference is not only wrong, and makes them seem biased in their reporting, no matter what they’re trying to say. But it’s also inconsistent. I don’t remember that they said that (about) ISIS or Al Qaeda.”

Joe Walsh, former Illinois congressman and director of Mission: Democracy, weighed in on the debate saying, “This week has been a huge struggle for the left all around.”

“In the media on campuses. They generally don’t like Israel, they sympathize with the Palestinians,” Walsh said. “And the other thing is, they have a real hard time just calling out evil. This has been a real difficult week for people on the left.”

Thane Rosenbaum, distinguished professor at Touro University and columnist for the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles weighed in, saying, “This should be just revulsion, universal revulsion, this is not a debate.”

“When it comes to Jews, it’s an all bets are off,” he said. “So I think what’s the difference between those terror outfits, where the BBC would not hesitate to call them terrorists at all, and Hamas? Well, Hamas, after all the targets are people we don’t really care about. And the best example of that is what you’re seeing over the last few days.”