The BBC removed its documentary Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone from iPlayer, sparking controversy over journalistic integrity.
The BBC removed a documentary about children surviving the war in Gaza from its iPlayer streaming service on Friday following “continuing questions raised about the programme.”
This included the broadcaster becoming “aware of the family connections of the film’s narrator, a child called Abdullah,” since the transmission of the documentary, the broadcaster said in a statement dated February 19.
🇵🇸🎥The Full BBC docu on Gaza that was taken down after pressure from the zionist regime.
Not surprising that the BBC does its best to be as pro-Israeli as possible yet it was still considered too extreme and pulled from their platform. Arseholes! #BoycottTheBBCLicenceFee pic.twitter.com/MZVd4H7ioh— Brummy Art Collective (@BrummyTaz) February 22, 2025
“The narrator of this film is 13 year old Abdullah. His father has worked as a deputy agriculture minister for the Hamas-run government in Gaza. The production team had full editorial control of filming with Abdullah,” the statement noted.
It said the film, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone “remains a powerful child’s eye view of the devastating consequences of the war in Gaza which we believe is an invaluable testament to their experiences, and we must meet our commitment to transparency.”
The film, which aired on BBC Two on Monday, follows Abdullah Al-Yazouri as he describes life in Gaza. His father, Ayman Alyazouri, it emerged serves as Hamas’s deputy minister of agriculture.
‘Continuing Questions’
On Friday, the BBC updated its earlier statement saying: “There have been continuing questions raised about the programme and in the light of these, we are conducting further due diligence with the production company. The programme will not be available on iPlayer while this is taking place.”
The broadcaster reported that the decision was taken after Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said on Thursday that she would discuss the issue with the BBC’s director general and chairman, “particularly around the way in which they sourced the people who were featured in the programme”.
BBC pulls Gaza documentary featuring child whose father was Hamas minister – beyond disgusting – sign this to make yourselves heard – https://t.co/88qAikG5NU https://t.co/6AAkmLdTAp
— Dr Myriam François (@MyriamFrancoisC) February 21, 2025
In its statement, the BBC said it had “followed all of our usual compliance procedures in the making of this film, but we had not been informed of this information by the independent producers when we complied and then broadcast the finished film.”
Despite some demanding the film’s removal, others have defended its importance as well as the BBC’s “duty to uphold journalistic integrity and ensure that the realities of life in Gaza are not erased from public discourse.”
Demand to BBC Director
According to The Guardian a group of 45 prominent Jewish journalists and members of the media, including present and former BBC staff, demanded in a letter to the BBC director general, Tim Davie, that the documentary be ‘removed’ from iPlayer.
The BBC removed the documentary ‘Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone’ from iPlayer after its 13-year-old narrator was revealed to be the son of Dr Ayman Alyazouri, Gaza’s Deputy Agriculture Minister.
This followed outrage from Israel’s ambassador to the UK and 45 Jewish journalists,… pic.twitter.com/4BzYIEI5Zq
— TRT World (@trtworld) February 22, 2025
“Given the serious nature of these concerns, the BBC should immediately postpone any broadcast repeats of the programme, remove it from iPlayer and take down any social media clips of the programme until an independent investigation is carried out and its findings published with full transparency for licence-fee payers,” the letter reportedly said, questioning whether the BBC can “confirm it will take this action?”
The Guardian reported that former BBC One controller Danny Cohen also criticized the film, saying the “documentary fails the most basic of programme standards” because “links to the terrorist group Hamas were not disclosed.” He claimed that “it appears that children have been manipulated by terrorists”.
‘Efforts to Suppress Palestinian Voices’
The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) said it was “alarmed by the growing efforts to suppress Palestinian voices” and urged the BBC to “stand against threats.”
“The BBC must stand firm against these attempts to prevent first-hand accounts of life in Gaza from reaching audiences,” the ICJP said in a statement.
Efforts to silence Palestinian voices must be resisted.
The BBC has a duty to uphold journalistic integrity, ensuring that realities of life are not erased from public discourse.
ICJP’s statement on recent coverage of the testimony of 13-year-old Abdullah Al-Yazouri: pic.twitter.com/IZVVILEpdg
— ICJP (@ICJPalestine) February 20, 2025
It said the child’s father’s government role “does not negate Abdullah’s lived experience as a child in Gaza nor does it invalidate his testimony.”
“The BBC documentary does not endorse or support Hamas, other proscribed organsation or the attacks on October 7th; it is a journalist account of civilian experiences in conflict,” the organization emphasized.
Jewish Support
At the same time, more than 170 British Jews, including film maker Mike Leigh, comedian and writer Alexei Sayle and actress Miriam Margolyes, signed a letter addressed to Davie calling on the corporation to resist censorship, according to a report by the Jewish Voice for Labour.
*British Jews rally in defence of BBC Gaza documentary*
Mike Leigh, Alexei Sayle & Miriam Margolyes among 170+ Jews calling on BBC to reject complaints about ‘Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone’ shamefully removed from iPlayer today
Full letter @JVoiceLabour https://t.co/F9mUCdkla3 pic.twitter.com/2wTUgdK732
— Just Jews (@JustJewsUK) February 21, 2025
“It is impossible to regard the complaint by a number of strident defenders of Israel’s actions about the BBC’s broadcast of this documentary as anything other than a cynical stunt. It is clear their intent is to prevent people viewing an account of the effect of Israel’s assault on Gaza on the people trying to live and stay alive there,” the letter to Davie reportedly stated.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
