BBC Gaza documentary narrated by Hamas official’s son breached accuracy guideline, review finds

In March of this year, the BBC’s director general was called before the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee to discuss the documentary about children’s lives in Gaza.

He told MPs that he made the “very difficult decision” to remove it from iPlayer after he “lost trust” in the film, after concerns were raised about the 13-year-old narrator’s family connections to Hamas – a proscribed terrorist group in the UK.

Davie said at the time that the BBC had received about 500 complaints that the film was biased against Israel and another 1,800 over its removal from iPlayer.

But he told MPs: “If you’re asked a number of times [about the boy’s family] and that question was not answered [by Hoyo Films]… that is basics.

“And at the end of the day, as editor in chief, I have to be secure, not only editorially where the film was at, but the making of that film.”

“There was absolutely legitimate journalism to be done,” he said, before remarking that “that’s what makes it frankly frustrating where we are”.