The BBC Arabic language service reported that the Israeli hostages abducted and held by Hamas in Gaza since the October 7 massacre were well treated by the terrorists.
The clip included what a former BBC official has called "jaw-dropping propaganda" for Hamas. The BBC is now accused of belittling the severe torture and abuse that the hostages endured in what is being described as a "public relations piece."
According to a report in The Telegraph, the broadcaster had to re-edit the video report about Hamas' shadow unit that guards the hostages. The video in question featured Israeli hostages who, according to the report, "thanked" their captors for the treatment they received.
Danny Cohen, a former director of BBC Television, described the clip as "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."
He said BBC Arabic broadcasts antisemitic poison and terrorist propaganda to its 38 million viewers and the clip proves beyond doubt that hatred toward Jews is ingrained there and must be uprooted.
<< Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv >>
"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," a spokesperson for the BBC said in a statement. "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," the spokesman said.
3 View gallery
A photo out of the BBC documentary Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone
(Photo: Screenshot)
The BBC has been criticized in the past for its pro-Hamas reporting. Last month the network issued a formal apology for its documentary on Gaza, "Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone," admitting to "serious flaws" in its production. A spokesperson then said that the network had not been informed ahead of time about the familial ties of a 13-year-old boy featured in the documentary, later discovered to be the son of a senior Hamas official. The BBC called it a failure on its part for not uncovering the information before the broadcast.
Leader of the Conservative party, Kemi Badenoch said the broadcaster was inciting extremism and misleading the viewers after a report by Camera was presented showing how BBC in Arabic was providing a "platform for terrorists."