A review finds a BBC Gaza documentary breached editorial guidelines
The broadcaster removed the program, 'Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone,' from its streaming service in February after it emerged that the 13-year-old narrator, Abdullah, is the son of Ayman Alyazouri, who has worked as Hamas's deputy minister of agriculture.
A review found that the independent production company that made the program did not share the background information regarding the narrator's father with the BBC. It said that the production company, Hoyo Films, bears most responsibility for the failure, though it did not 'intentionally' mislead the BBC.
The review, conducted by the corporation's director of editorial complaints and reviews, found no other breaches of editorial guidelines, including impartiality. There was no evidence of 'outside interests' impacting on the program, it said.
Earlier this year, Britain's Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy questioned why no one at the BBC had lost their job over the program's airing.
The broadcaster's Director-General Tim Davie had told lawmakers that the BBC received hundreds of complaints alleging that the documentary was biased against Israel, as well as hundreds more criticizing the program's removal from its streaming service.
Davie said Monday that the report identified 'a significant failing' in relation to accuracy in the documentary. Hoyo Films apologized for the mistake. Both firms said they would prevent similar errors in the future.
Separately, more than 100 BBC journalists wrote a letter to Davie earlier this month criticizing its decision not to air another documentary, 'Gaza: Medics Under Fire." They expressed concerns that the broadcaster was not reporting ''without fear or favour' when it comes to Israel."
The decision suggested that the BBC was an 'organization that is crippled by the fear of being perceived as critical of the Israeli government,' that letter said.
The BBC has been under intense scrutiny for its coverage touching on the war in Gaza. Last month, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and others condemned the corporation for livestreaming a performance by rap punk duo Bob Vylan, who led crowds at Glastonbury Festival in chanting 'death' to the Israeli military.
The 21-month Israel-Hamas war started after the militant group attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage. Most of the hostages have been released in earlier ceasefires. Israel's offensive in Gaza has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, under Gaza's Hamas-run government, doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count. The U.N. and other international organizations see its figures as the most reliable statistics on war casualties.
___
Follow AP's war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
26 minutes ago
- The Hill
Ron Paul slams cruel response to Gaza famine; libertarians oppose starvation!
It's not only my friends on the left who are concerned about the plight of the innocent civilians in Gaza. Former Rep. Ron Paul, a libertarian Republican revered by non-interventionists for opposing war and speaking out against some of the actions of the Israeli government, is slamming those in the U.S. who are evincing indifference to the suffering of the Gazans. Worse than indifference, at least one member of Congress even indicated that he supports the starvation of the Gazans. That's contemptible. Here is Dr. Paul speaking out, during a podcast with Daniel McAdams of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. 'You know, summarizing what you say, about the hostages, 'release the hostages,' the way I would phrase that, 'do what we say or these are the results, we're gonna starve, starve the little ones.' It's hard for me to accept that as a basic principle, so the people in this country surely ought to be at least thoughtful enough to look at both sides of this. To look at pictures like that and what's going on — the truth is, what happens in these countries, and a lot of bad things happen, it happens with U.S. support, and that means morally we are responsible.' Paul was reacting to a post on X by Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican of Florida. In that post, Fine wrote: 'Release the hostages. Until then, starve away.' And then he added: 'This is all a lie anyway. It amazes me that the media continues to regurgitate Muslim terror propaganda.' Now look, I have seen it suggested that not all the images of Gazan children starving that have been circulated in the media are accurate. But isn't that beside the point? We know from multiple credible accounts that there is a serious risk of famine in the Gaza Strip — that the people there are in desperate shape. And according to Fine, they should all starve because Hamas is still keeping hostages? It should go without saying, but that is an appalling moral outlook. If you are willing to starve thousands and thousands of innocent people in order to punish terrorists hiding among them, where does your penchant for collective punishment and retaliatory violence end? We obviously would not apply so logic to ourselves: Evil actions on the part of our government would not justify the deliberate starvation of thousands of American people. And as Dr. Paul points out in his video, it's not as if anyone is asking the American taxpayers to forcibly contribute to the aid of Gazans: What we are saying is that aid organizations should be allowed to operate in the Gaza Strip. Israel has bombed and bombed and bombed Gaza, crippled its infrastructure, and killed thousands of people. At this point, the government of Israel does bear some moral responsibility for the suffering of the people there. The U.S. government cannot take the position that Israel is free to blockade the strip and prevent willing aid organizations from distributing food to the people there. It's unconscionable. I share the goal of destroying Hamas. But the destruction of Hamas cannot come at any cost. This cost is too high — especially when the U.S. government will be treated as morally complicit, given our ironclad support of Israel. Ron Paul is not the only Republican who thinks Randy Fine's stance on starvation in Gaza is evil. So too does a man named Aaron Baker. Baker writes on X: 'I do NOT support starving children. I do NOT support punishing citizens for having the worst government in existence.' Baker is a pro-Trump, pro-Second Amendment, pro-free-speech, pro-border, pro-capitalism, America First Republican, and he is running in the Republican primary against Randy Fine in 2026. Floridians should pay attention to him.
Newsweek
27 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Zohran Mamdani Scores 17-Point Lead with Jewish Voters in NYC Mayoral Race
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. New York State Assembly member Zohran Mamdani commands a 17-point lead among Jewish voters in the upcoming New York City mayoral race, according to newly released polling. The survey from Zenith Research and Public Progress Solutions found that Mamdani's support among Jewish voters surpassed all other candidates, reflecting a complex realignment in the wake of his decisive victory over former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary. Newsweek reached out to Mamdani's campaign team via email for comment. New York Democratic mayoral nominee, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, and NYC Comptroller Brad Lander speak with members of the press as they greet voters on Broadway on June 24, 2025 in New York City. New York Democratic mayoral nominee, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, and NYC Comptroller Brad Lander speak with members of the press as they greet voters on Broadway on June 24, 2025 in New York City. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images Why It Matters New York City hosts the largest Jewish population outside Israel and political analysts have long viewed this demographic as critical in mayoral contests. Mamdani's support among Jewish voters comes despite repeated accusations from opponents and some community leaders that his criticism of Israel represents antisemitism. His performance suggests growing acceptance among parts of the Jewish electorate—particularly younger and less religious voters—of candidates who hold critical views of Israeli policy, potentially signaling a shift in the priorities of one of the city's most influential voting blocs. What To Know The Zenith Research and Public Progress Solutions poll surveyed 1,453 New York City residents between July 16 and July 24. Among Jewish respondents likely to vote in the November mayoral election, 43 percent said they supported Mamdani, compared to 26 percent for Cuomo, his closest competitor who is now running as an independent following his Democratic primary defeat. Despite his outspoken criticism of Israel and refusal to disavow phrases associated with Palestinian activism, Mamdani outperformed more moderate candidates, including Mayor Eric Adams—who opted to run for re-election as an independent before the Democratic primary—and Republican Curtis Sliwa, among both Jewish and non-Jewish voters. The poll's findings are especially notable against the backdrop of heightened tensions in New York's Jewish community, which has faced increased anti-Jewish hate crimes and debates over safety, city policy, and Israel. Despite such concerns, voters indicated that issues such as housing affordability, public safety, and government integrity were more influential in their vote choice than foreign policy or religious identity. Mamdani has consistently denied allegations of antisemitism, stating his criticism is directed solely at Israeli government actions, not Jewish people. He has also pledged to increase city funding for anti-hate crime programming and to foster dialogue within religious communities. The poll also suggests Mamdani has built a broad progressive coalition, with strong support from the young, LGBTQ+, and college-educated voters across racial and ethnic groups. The poll's methodology noted a margin of error of 2.9 percent for registered voters, with slightly higher error rates among likely Jewish voters due to sample size. The results reflect a possible generational and ideological realignment, as younger and more progressive Jewish voters appear less likely to equate criticism of Israel with antisemitism. Mamdani's strong showing follows his Democratic primary win, where he captured 56 percent of the overall citywide vote, with Cuomo trailing at 44 percent. What People Are Saying Rabbi Shimon Hecht, of Congregation B'nai Jacob in Brooklyn, said last month following the Democratic primary: "I think like every upsetting election, it's a wake-up call for people … I strongly believe that [Mamdani] will not be elected as our next mayor, but it's going to take a lot of uniting among the Jewish people and others who are concerned about these issues. We have to unify." Aiyana Leong Knauer, a 35-year-old Brooklyn bartender who is Jewish and backed Mamdani, said: "[The primary is] New Yorkers, many of them Jewish, saying we care more about having an affordable city than sowing division … Many of us take really deep offense to our history being weaponized against us … Jewish people all over the world have well-founded fears for their safety, but Jews in New York are safe overall." Zohran Mamdani said in a statement following his primary win: "I am humbled by the support of more than 545,000 New Yorkers in last week's primary. This is just the beginning of our expanding coalition to make New York City affordable. And we will do it together." What Happens Next The New York City mayoral general election is scheduled for November 4, 2025. Both Cuomo and Adams could impact the final outcome if they remain in the race, while Sliwa is hoping for a long-shot upset in a fractured field. This article contains reporting by The Associated Press
Fox News
27 minutes ago
- Fox News
Mark Levin: I'm 'sick and tired' of lectures from Europe
'Life, Liberty & Levin' host Mark Levin discusses U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's threat to recognize Palestine as a state if Israel doesn't agree to a ceasefire and the NY Times' correction on child malnutrition.
