Latest news with #Gaza:HowToSurviveaWarzone
Middle East Eye
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
BBC review says pulled Gaza documentary did not break impartiality rules
A BBC investigation into the airing of a documentary on children in Gaza, narrated by the son of a Palestinian official, has found that the corporation did not breach its impartiality rules. Just four days after the documentary, Gaza: How To Survive a Warzone, aired on 17 February, the BBC pulled it from its streaming platform, iPlayer, following an intense campaign by pro-Israel groups and rival British media outlets. Pro-Israel activist David Collier alleged that the boy who narrated the film, Abdullah al-Yazuri, was the son of a deputy minister in Gaza's government and was related to a co-founder of Hamas, Ibrahim al-Yazuri, who died in 2021. Collier, whose revelations sparked a national scandal, described Abdullah as the "child of Hamas royalty", a claim later repeated by mainstream British newspapers. Monday's long-awaited review, which was conducted by Peter Johnston, the corporation's head of Editorial Complaints and Reviews who is independent of its management, found that three members of Hoyo Films, the independent production company that produced the film, knew of the father's position as deputy minister of agriculture, but no-one within the BBC knew this before the broadcasting of the documentary. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The review said the BBC had breached its editorial guidelines in terms of accuracy by failing to disclose the boy's ties to Hamas. However, the review found that there were no other breaches of editorial guidelines, including impartiality. It also found no evidence "to support the suggestion that the narrator's father or family influenced the content of the programme in any way". War on Gaza: How the BBC sanitises Israel's genocide Read More » The Media watchdog Ofcom said later on Monday that it would conduct its own investigation into the airing of the documentary. The BBC's director general, Tim Davie, had told MPs the broadcaster had received hundreds of complaints alleging the documentary was biased against Israel, as well as hundreds more criticising the programme's removal from its streaming service. Middle East Eye revealed earlier this year that the boy's father was in fact a technocrat with a scientific rather than political background and had previously worked for the UAE's education ministry and studied at British universities. The narrator's father also disputed the allegations against him, saying his full name is Ayman Hasan Abdullah al-Yazuri, whereas the Hamas founder's full name was Ibrahim Fares Ahmed al-Yazuri. He added that his father was named Hasan and died in 1975. "Our family is not as some claim," he told MEE, insisting he was not "Hamas royalty". "There are many individuals within our family who are affiliated with Fatah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), including some in leadership positions within these movements." Ministers, bureaucrats and civil servants in Gaza are appointed by Hamas, while in the West Bank, they are appointed by the Palestinian Liberation Organisation.
Leader Live
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Producer of Gaza documentary pledges to tell more stories after receiving Bafta
Filmmaker Jamie Roberts took home the award for best Single Documentary at the 2025 Bafta TV Awards for directing Ukraine: Enemy In The Woods. He also directed and produced the documentary Gaza: How To Survive a Warzone, but it was removed from BBC iPlayer early this year after the broadcaster said it had 'identified serious flaws' in the making of the programme. The BBC apologised and said it would be conducting a review of the programme. Roberts said he was confident he would be able to continue making films telling important stories after the BBC concludes its investigation. The filmmaker did not comment on the investigation when asked at the winners' room after collecting his prize. 'I'm confident we'll be able to keep making films telling important stories. I can't talk about the inquiry at the moment,' he said. He added that the 'world is on fire at the moment' but has pledged to continue filmmaking because 'there's so many important stories to tell'. He was awarded the Bafta for directing the BBC documentary, which portrays the lives of Ukrainian soldiers on the front line as filmed by them. He has since called for more cutting-edge documentations to dispel 'misinformation and lies'. 'It's really important. I mean, I think just factual stories, issues like Ukraine, like Gaza, healthcare in the UK, all these things that sometimes people might find dull or boring,' he said. 'It's important to try and make films that cut through to be able to tell these stories, because I think it's important we know what's happening in the world, especially with so much misinformation and lies. 'The narrative in Ukraine, with the Russian war is being argued over, so to be able to see what's happening through people's eyes that are on the ground there is important otherwise you can be misled.' He said winning the award felt 'surreal', but added the win was fitting to remember those who died in the war. 'It's fitting for us because some of the people in the film are not no longer with us, and I think it meant a lot to them to be able to tell their film, and it means a lot to us to pick up this award,' he said. 'I'm confident we'll be able to keep making films telling important stories. 'The world is on fire at the moment. 'There's so many important stories to tell. I've done this for a long time, and want to be able to continue doing that.' The Bafta TV Awards were hosted by Scottish actor Alan Cumming and was held at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
Rhyl Journal
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Producer of Gaza documentary pledges to tell more stories after receiving Bafta
Filmmaker Jamie Roberts took home the award for best Single Documentary at the 2025 Bafta TV Awards for directing Ukraine: Enemy In The Woods. He also directed and produced the documentary Gaza: How To Survive a Warzone, but it was removed from BBC iPlayer early this year after the broadcaster said it had 'identified serious flaws' in the making of the programme. The BBC apologised and said it would be conducting a review of the programme. Roberts said he was confident he would be able to continue making films telling important stories after the BBC concludes its investigation. The filmmaker did not comment on the investigation when asked at the winners' room after collecting his prize. 'I'm confident we'll be able to keep making films telling important stories. I can't talk about the inquiry at the moment,' he said. He added that the 'world is on fire at the moment' but has pledged to continue filmmaking because 'there's so many important stories to tell'. He was awarded the Bafta for directing the BBC documentary, which portrays the lives of Ukrainian soldiers on the front line as filmed by them. He has since called for more cutting-edge documentations to dispel 'misinformation and lies'. 'It's really important. I mean, I think just factual stories, issues like Ukraine, like Gaza, healthcare in the UK, all these things that sometimes people might find dull or boring,' he said. 'It's important to try and make films that cut through to be able to tell these stories, because I think it's important we know what's happening in the world, especially with so much misinformation and lies. 'The narrative in Ukraine, with the Russian war is being argued over, so to be able to see what's happening through people's eyes that are on the ground there is important otherwise you can be misled.' He said winning the award felt 'surreal', but added the win was fitting to remember those who died in the war. 'It's fitting for us because some of the people in the film are not no longer with us, and I think it meant a lot to them to be able to tell their film, and it means a lot to us to pick up this award,' he said. 'I'm confident we'll be able to keep making films telling important stories. 'The world is on fire at the moment. 'There's so many important stories to tell. I've done this for a long time, and want to be able to continue doing that.' The Bafta TV Awards were hosted by Scottish actor Alan Cumming and was held at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
South Wales Guardian
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Producer of Gaza documentary pledges to tell more stories after receiving Bafta
Filmmaker Jamie Roberts took home the award for best Single Documentary at the 2025 Bafta TV Awards for directing Ukraine: Enemy In The Woods. He also directed and produced the documentary Gaza: How To Survive a Warzone, but it was removed from BBC iPlayer early this year after the broadcaster said it had 'identified serious flaws' in the making of the programme. The BBC apologised and said it would be conducting a review of the programme. Roberts said he was confident he would be able to continue making films telling important stories after the BBC concludes its investigation. The filmmaker did not comment on the investigation when asked at the winners' room after collecting his prize. 'I'm confident we'll be able to keep making films telling important stories. I can't talk about the inquiry at the moment,' he said. He added that the 'world is on fire at the moment' but has pledged to continue filmmaking because 'there's so many important stories to tell'. He was awarded the Bafta for directing the BBC documentary, which portrays the lives of Ukrainian soldiers on the front line as filmed by them. He has since called for more cutting-edge documentations to dispel 'misinformation and lies'. 'It's really important. I mean, I think just factual stories, issues like Ukraine, like Gaza, healthcare in the UK, all these things that sometimes people might find dull or boring,' he said. 'It's important to try and make films that cut through to be able to tell these stories, because I think it's important we know what's happening in the world, especially with so much misinformation and lies. 'The narrative in Ukraine, with the Russian war is being argued over, so to be able to see what's happening through people's eyes that are on the ground there is important otherwise you can be misled.' He said winning the award felt 'surreal', but added the win was fitting to remember those who died in the war. 'It's fitting for us because some of the people in the film are not no longer with us, and I think it meant a lot to them to be able to tell their film, and it means a lot to us to pick up this award,' he said. 'I'm confident we'll be able to keep making films telling important stories. 'The world is on fire at the moment. 'There's so many important stories to tell. I've done this for a long time, and want to be able to continue doing that.' The Bafta TV Awards were hosted by Scottish actor Alan Cumming and was held at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
Irish Independent
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Producer of Gaza documentary pledges to tell more stories after receiving Bafta
©Press Association Today at 17:25 The producer of a controversial Gaza documentary has pledged to continue telling stories after winning a Bafta. Filmmaker Jamie Roberts took home the award for best Single Documentary at the 2025 Bafta TV Awards for directing Ukraine: Enemy In The Woods. He also directed and produced the documentary Gaza: How To Survive a Warzone, but it was removed from BBC iPlayer early this year after the broadcaster said it had 'identified serious flaws' in the making of the programme. The BBC apologised and said it would be conducting a review of the programme. Roberts said he was confident he would be able to continue making films telling important stories after the BBC concludes its investigation. The filmmaker did not comment on the investigation when asked at the winners' room after collecting his prize. 'I'm confident we'll be able to keep making films telling important stories. I can't talk about the inquiry at the moment,' he said. I'm confident we'll be able to keep making films telling important stories Jamie Roberts, director of Ukraine: Enemy in the Woods He added that the 'world is on fire at the moment' but has pledged to continue filmmaking because 'there's so many important stories to tell'. He was awarded the Bafta for directing the BBC documentary, which portrays the lives of Ukrainian soldiers on the front line as filmed by them. He has since called for more cutting-edge documentations to dispel 'misinformation and lies'. 'It's really important. I mean, I think just factual stories, issues like Ukraine, like Gaza, healthcare in the UK, all these things that sometimes people might find dull or boring,' he said. ADVERTISEMENT 'It's important to try and make films that cut through to be able to tell these stories, because I think it's important we know what's happening in the world, especially with so much misinformation and lies. 'The narrative in Ukraine, with the Russian war is being argued over, so to be able to see what's happening through people's eyes that are on the ground there is important otherwise you can be misled.' He said winning the award felt 'surreal', but added the win was fitting to remember those who died in the war. 'It's fitting for us because some of the people in the film are not no longer with us, and I think it meant a lot to them to be able to tell their film, and it means a lot to us to pick up this award,' he said. 'I'm confident we'll be able to keep making films telling important stories. 'The world is on fire at the moment. 'There's so many important stories to tell. I've done this for a long time, and want to be able to continue doing that.' The Bafta TV Awards were hosted by Scottish actor Alan Cumming and was held at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
