The BBC has apologized and acknowledged “serious flaws” in the making of its documentary Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone after it was revealed that the film’s 13-year-old narrator is the son of a Hamas deputy minister.
The controversy has sparked criticism of the broadcaster’s impartiality, with BBC Chair Samir Shah telling lawmakers on Tuesday that the scandal was a “dagger to the heart” of the BBC’s credibility.
The documentary, which aired on February 17, depicted Israel’s military operations in Gaza from the perspective of Palestinian children. It was later revealed that the narrator, Abdullah al-Yazouri, is the son of a Hamas minister and that his family received £790 for his participation.
The revelation prompted the BBC to launch an internal investigation into how the film was produced and vetted.
BBC executives pulled the documentary from its streaming platform, BBC iPlayer, two weeks ago following backlash.
According to BBC Director General Tim Davie, before the film was removed, BBC received around 500 complaints alleging bias against Israel. Meanwhile, roughly 1,800 people petitioned for the documentary’s reinstatement.
