BBC accused of ‘jaw-dropping propaganda' for Hamas with Israeli hostages video
The BBC has been accused of downplaying the cruel treatment of Israeli hostages by Hamas.
The broadcaster has been accused of publishing 'jaw-dropping propaganda' for the terror group after producing a 'puff piece' for its hostage unit.
The Telegraph can reveal that BBC Arabic has now been forced to edit a video clip featuring the 'shadow unit' of Hamas's Al-Qassam Brigade, which it described as 'guarding' kidnapped Israeli hostages.
The video featured a scene of female Israeli hostages who were reported to 'thank' their captors for the treatment they received.
BBC Arabic is already facing claims it has given a platform to hate and terror. Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, said it was 'fomenting extremism and misleading audiences'.
Her comments came after the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (Camera) published a 33-page report claiming BBC Arabic was providing a 'platform to terrorists'.
Concerns over the report come just weeks after the BBC was forced to pull a controversial documentary on Gaza which featured the son of a Hamas government minister as the narrator and did not inform viewers of his parentage.
In a video published at the end of January, BBC Arabic described the Al-Qassam Brigade as 'responsible for securing the hostages' and in the video militants were said to be 'guarding the Israeli hostages'.
'Its mission is to secure the hostages and hide them from view in Gaza,' the report added, according to a translation from Camera.
The video from Jan 30 said that Al-Qassam had shown footage of 'soldiers as they thank the unit's personnel for the 'good treatment' while in custody'.
The broadcaster later updated the report to remove the section which claimed hostages had received good treatment and added evidence of Hamas abuse of those held after a complaint from Camera.
Responding to the complaint, BBC News said that 'the report was both duly accurate and contained due context for the issue it was focused on'. But Camera has now escalated the complaint to the BBC's Executive Complaints Unit.
On Saturday night, Danny Cohen, the former director of BBC Television, described the latest concerns over the organisation's reporting of the conflict as propaganda for the terror group.
'This is a jaw-dropping piece of propaganda – a puff piece on war criminals who have executed, starved, beaten and sexually assaulted the hostages that Hamas kidnapped on October 7,' Mr Cohen said.
'The shadow unit are not 'guards' tasked with keeping hostages safe, they are monstrous terrorists who have committed unspeakable crimes.
'Part-funded by licence fee and part funded by taxpayers, BBC Arabic pumps anti-Semitic poison and terrorist propaganda out to a global Arab-speaking audience of 38 million people.
'Camera this week published a shocking report that details how BBC Arabic has given a platform to extremists and succour to terrorists for years.
'This video shows what now cannot be in any doubt – that the rot of anti-Jewish hate that festers within BBC Arabic must be rooted out.'
Hadar Sela, of Camera, said the shadow unit was complicit in kidnap and torture and should not be featured 'uncritically' on the BBC.
'In addition to the obvious war crime of kidnapping 251 people in the first place, there are numerous corroborated reports that the shadow unit has waged a horrendous campaign of torture, sexual violence and starvation against the hostages.
'To uncritically platform the Hamas claim that hostages were thankful for their care is as offensive as it is inaccurate, and to omit the horrific reality of the torture and execution of hostages shows once again why the rot of BBC Arabic needs to be rooted out.'
A BBC spokesman said: 'This short video report explains to audiences the history of a little-known Hamas unit which featured in reports during the recent release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
'Although the initial report was accurate and correctly describes the group as guarding not protecting the hostages, it has since been amended to provide additional context and clarification to audiences.'
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