Did the BBC know a Hamas chief’s son was starring in its documentary?

BBC documentary on Gaza sparks controversy over undisclosed links to Hamas. The BBC documentary Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone has become the center of a fierce debate after it was revealed that the central figure, a 13-year-old boy named Abdullah, has familial ties to Hamas.

The film, which was aired on BBC2, follows Abdullah and other children living through the horrors of Gaza amid bombings and airstrikes. The film aims to depict the harrowing daily life of Palestinians in Gaza, but its authenticity and impartiality have been called into question due to Abdullah’s background.

Abdullah, who narrates the documentary, is not just any young boy caught in the chaos. His father, Ayman Alyazouri, is a Deputy Minister in the Hamas-run government, raising concerns over the potential for the film to serve as a platform for Hamas propaganda.

Furthermore, Abdullah is no stranger to the camera, having made multiple TV appearances in the past, which has led to accusations that he has been used by Hamas as a mouthpiece to promote its narrative.

The film’s co-director, Yousef Hammash, also has ties to Gaza and has made several anti-Israel statements online, further fueling suspicions of bias in the documentary. Additionally, two cameramen involved in the project have posted controversial content that appears to celebrate the October 7 massacre carried out by Hamas. These revelations have led to widespread criticism of the documentary’s lack of transparency and the BBC’s failure to disclose the connections of those involved.

The BBC has since issued an apology for the film, acknowledging that the failure to disclose Abdullah’s family ties to Hamas was a significant oversight. The broadcaster has faced growing allegations of bias, particularly regarding its coverage of Israel and Hamas. In response to the controversy, the BBC has announced an internal review to investigate the documentary’s production and its handling of sensitive content.

Critics, including the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting (CAMERA), have accused the BBC of “whitewashing” the views of the participants in the documentary, noting that certain words, such as “jihad” and references to Jews, were altered or omitted in the subtitles.

The row has sparked protests outside the BBC’s headquarters in London, with demonstrators calling for the corporation to address its alleged bias and use of anti-Israeli rhetoric.

This controversy adds to a growing list of incidents that have led some to claim there is an institutionalized anti-Israel bias within the BBC, raising further questions about the impartiality of its reporting on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The BBC’s apology and pledge to conduct a full review have done little to quell the anger from critics, who argue that the documentary’s flaws go beyond production mistakes, suggesting a deeper issue with the corporation’s editorial approach.