Gary Lineker: BBC 'should hang its head in shame' over shelved Gaza documentary
Speaking after a screening of the film in London on Thursday, the BBC's former Match of the Day presenter said it was "one of the most important films" he'd seen.
"It really did need to be seen, I think everyone would agree with that," he added.
The documentary tells the stories of Palestinian doctors and health workers working in Gaza under Israeli bombardment and lays out allegations that the Israeli army systematically targeted hospitals and medical staff in the besieged strip throughout its military campaign.
The BBC announced that it had dropped the film in June after a months-long delay due to impartiality concerns.
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"We have come to the conclusion that broadcasting this material risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC," it said in a statement.
'The BBC should hang its head in shame.'
Former footballer and broadcaster Gary Lineker has criticised the BBC for censoring the documentary Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, produced by Basement Films, after watching it pic.twitter.com/ia3QVvfJbU — Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) July 4, 2025
But many critics said the BBC's decision was an act of censorship, and that it capitulated to pressure to block a film detailing Israel's conduct on the besieged Palestinian enclave - actions like targeting health workers and hospitals, which would amount to grave violations of international law.
The film was eventually picked up by Channel 4, where it aired on Wednesday, and Zeteo.
This is a very hard watch, it's extremely rare to have a documentary released about Gaza on commercial TV, most have been shelved and censored, particularly by the BBC, who refused to broadcast this. Utterly horrific. https://t.co/sB6hQdB75q — Ben Parsons (@benparsons76) July 3, 2025
Lineker also said the public broadcaster had "declined" in the past two years during Israel's war on Gaza.
"I've defended it and defended it against claims that it is partial. It talks about impartiality all the time," he said.
Gaza: Doctors Under Attack: Powerful documentary exposes Israel's deliberate targeting of medics Read More »
"The truth is at the moment, at the very top of the BBC, not the BBC all over... we're seeing it on our phones everyday. The problem is they're bowing to pressure from the top and this is a worry."
It isn't the first time the BBC's former Match of the Day presenter has slammed the broadcaster for censorship.
Lineker was among 500 prominent figures in the entertainment industry who called on the BBC to restore a documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, which was aired in November, only to be dropped four days later.
The signatories accused the broadcaster of politically motivated censorship following an intense campaign by pro-Israel groups and rival British media outlets, who alleged the documentary promoted 'Hamas propaganda'.
'Unprecented war crimes'
Gaza: Medics Under Fire, which presents personal accounts of the detention, torture and death of medical workers on the frontline, has sent shockwaves online.
"No sane person could watch Gaza Doctors under Attack and have a shred of respect for the state of Israel," said one user.
A British doctor said: 'now you understand why they [BBC] didn't want you to see…the documentary'.
'Britain sends weapons to 'Israel.' Britain sends RAF spy planes over Gaza. Britain calls 'Israel' an ally' she added in a post on X.
Now you understand why they didn't want you to see the Gaza: Medics Under Fire documentary. Our family cried through every moment of it. We recognised each face, each massacre, each heartbreak.
To know that we directly pay for this is unbearable. Britain sends weapons to… — Dr Rahmeh Aladwan (@doctor_rahmeh) July 2, 2025
Historian William Dalrymple, said the film "shows the reason why Israel will not let journalists in: the unprecedented war crimes that the IDF commit everyday".
Released by @zeteo_news today, this documentary is a must watch. Once you do, you'll realize why the BBC refused to show it.
It shows Israel's systematic destruction of Gaza's healthcare system, attacks on hospitals, and targeting, detaining and torturing doctors and medics. https://t.co/CyyCB4ZVT1 — Assal Rad (@AssalRad) July 2, 2025
Others invited viewers of the documentary to demand the BBC explain its partiality claim about the film.
"The BBC said Gaza: Doctors Under Attack fell below the standards the British public expects of the broadcaster," said British journalist Hamza M Syed.
"If you watched the documentary tonight on @Channel4 and felt otherwise, you should demand to know how and why the BBC came to that conclusion."
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