BBC journalists accuses broadcaster of biased Gaza reports

LONDON

Eight BBC journalists have accused the British media giant of bias over its coverage of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and failing to tell the story of people in Gaza accurately.

In a 2,300-word letter written to Al Jazeera, the BBC is also accused of being guilty of a “double standard in how civilians are seen,” given that it is “unflinching” in its reporting of alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

“The BBC has failed to accurately tell this story – through omission and lack of critical engagement with Israel’s claims – and it has therefore failed to help the public engage with and understand the human rights abuses unfolding in Gaza,” the letter said.

“Thousands of Palestinians have been killed since October 7. When will the number be high enough for our editorial stance to change?” they asked.

The group of BBC journalists argued that across all platforms, terms like “massacre” and “atrocity,” have been reserved “only for Hamas, framing the group as the only instigator and perpetrator of violence in the region.”

The letter emphasized that the Hamas assault, while deemed "appalling and devastating," should not be used to justify the indiscriminate killing of thousands of Palestinian civilians. The journalists argued that the BBC should not be perceived as supporting this logic and must actively question it in their reporting.

On the other hand, the broadcaster meticulously highlights and portrays Israeli suffering by, for instance, telling audiences the names of victims, covering individual funerals, and interviewing affected families, without giving such details for thousands of Gazan civilian casualties, the group claimed.

The journalists urged the corporation to prioritize equitable treatment of all civilians in its coverage.