BBC shelves Gaza doc over impartiality concerns

6 days ago Share Save Steven McIntosh BBC News Share Save

EPA

The BBC says it has decided not to broadcast a documentary about doctors working in Gaza, due to impartiality concerns it has surrounding the production. Gaza: Doctors Under Attack was commissioned by the BBC but produced by an independent production company. It was originally scheduled for broadcast in February, but has not yet aired on any BBC outlet. In a statement, the BBC said it was “determined to report all aspects of the conflict in the Middle East impartially and fairly”. Basement Films said it was “relieved that the BBC will finally allow this film to be released”. The BBC confirmed it was “transferring ownership of the film material to Basement Films”.

The production company’s founder, Ben de Pear, said earlier this week the BBC had “utterly failed” and that journalists were “being stymied and silenced”.

BBC News understands the decision to shelve the documentary was taken on Thursday, following public comments by De Pear at the Sheffield Documentary Festival, and another of the film’s directors, journalist Ramita Navai, who appeared on Radio 4’s Today discussing the war in Gaza. Navai told the programme Israel had “become a rogue state that’s committing war crimes and ethnic cleansing and mass murdering Palestinians”. Israel has denied accusations of war crimes and genocide in Gaza. A different documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, was pulled from iPlayer earlier this year after it emerged its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official.

Gaza: Doctors Under Attack – also known as Gaza: Medics Under Fire – is said to examine the experiences of Palestinian medics working during the war in Gaza. The film is directed by Karim Shah, Navai and De Pear, a former editor of Channel 4 News.

In a statement on Friday, the BBC said it had commissioned the documentary over a year ago, but paused the film in April, “having made a decision that we could not broadcast the film while a review into a separate Gaza documentary was ongoing”. “With both films coming from independent production companies, and both about Gaza, it was right to wait for any relevant findings – and put them into action – before broadcasting the film. “However, we wanted the doctors’ voices to be heard. Our aim was to find a way to air some of the material in our news programmes, in line with our impartiality standards, before the review was published. “For some weeks, the BBC has been working with Basement Films to find a way to tell the stories of these doctors on our platforms. “Yesterday [Thursday], it became apparent that we have reached the end of the road with these discussions. We have come to the conclusion that broadcasting this material risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC.” The corporation added that, contrary to some reports, the documentary had “not undergone the BBC’s final pre-broadcast sign-off processes”, adding: “Any film broadcast will not be a BBC film.” It continued: “We want to thank the doctors and contributors and we are sorry we could not tell their stories. The BBC will continue to cover events in Gaza impartially.”

In its own statement, Basement Films claimed it had been given “no less than six different release dates” and the film went through a “long and repeated compliance process as well as scrupulous fact checking”. It continued: “Our argument all along has been to tell the story of the doctors and medics as soon as possible, people whom we convinced to talk to us despite their own reservations that the BBC would ever tell their stories.” “Although the BBC are now taking their names off this film, it will remain theirs, and we hope it serves to open up the debate on how the nation’s broadcaster covers what is happening in Gaza, and that people feel free to speak up and speak out, rather than stay silent or leave, and at some point get the journalistic leadership they deserve.”

Speaking at the Sheffield Documentary Festival on Thursday, before the decision was announced, De Pear specifically blamed director general Tim Davie for refusing to air the film. He added: “The BBC’s primary purpose is TV news and current affairs, and if it’s failing on that it doesn’t matter what drama it makes or sports it covers,” he said, as reported by Broadcast. “It is failing as an institution. And if it’s failing on that then it needs new management. In relation to the war, De Pear claimed staff at the BBC “are being forced to use language they don’t recognise, they are not describing something as it clearly is [for fear of impartiality] and it’s tragic”. Responding to De Pear’s comments, a BBC spokesperson said the BBC “totally reject[s] this characterisation of our coverage”. “The BBC has continually produced powerful journalism about this conflict. Alongside breaking news and ongoing analysis, we have produced original investigations such as those into allegations of abuse of Palestinian prisoners and Israel’s use of bunker buster bombs and in-depth documentaries including the award-winning Life and Death in Gaza, and Gaza 101.”

‘Spiritual experience’ of Slane recalled at aristocrat’s funeral

1 day ago Share Save Kevin Sharkey BBC News NI Dublin reporter Share Save

PA Media The funeral for Lord Henry Mount Charles took place at St Patrick’s Church of Ireland in Slane, County Meath

The bass guitarist with U2, Adam Clayton, was among those who have paid tribute at the funeral of Lord Henry Mount Charles, who hosted world famous music acts at his Slane Castle home in County Meath. U2 were a support act when Thin Lizzy headlined the inaugural concert at Slane Castle in the summer of 1981. In a tribute, delivered by his son Alex, the ninth Marquess Conyngham, the congregation heard that Lord Mount Charles often described the Slane live music experience as “something of a spiritual one”. He added that “for many it remains a rite of passage”.

PA Media U2 bass guitarist Adam Clayton was among those attending the funeral

‘Truly loved this country’

Lord Mount Charles’ son described his father as an Anglo-Irish aristocrat who was “a passionate constitutional republican”. He said Lord Mount Charles “truly loved this country, its culture and its people, and he counted himself blessed to be an Irishman”. He said his father had a great commitment towards peace, and had opened up the castle gates while being “driven by a conviction that music is a universal language that brings people together”. Lord Mount Charles who was the custodian of Slane Castle, died last week, after a “battle with cancer”, his family said. He was 74. He introduced the small village of Slane to generations of music fans at home and abroad, when he decided to host some of the world’s biggest stars in the grounds of the castle. The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Queen, Bob Dylan, Robbie Williams, David Bowie, U2, Eminem, Bruce Springsteen, Kings Of Leon, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Oasis, REM and Metallica are just some of the world-renowned acts that headlined the venue.

‘Never give up’

PA Media Lord Mount Charles pictured at Slane Castle ahead of a concert in 2004, died at the age of 74

Lord Mount Charles’ daughter Tamara read a tribute called “lessons from my dad”, which included the words: “Never give up, ever.” She said: “Dad was one of the most determined people that I know and he proved what can be achieved when you truly put your mind to it.” Recalling an anecdote about being admonished for going to bed “before the last of our guests”, she added: “He fought for so long because he didn’t want to leave the party and all we can do now is party on in his memory.” The final tribute during the service came from Lord Henry’s friend Nick Koumarianos, who said Lord Mount Charles had “put Ireland on the map” for generations of pop music fans around the world.

PA Media Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar also attended the funeral in Slane on Wednesday

Your questions answered on the Israel-Iran conflict

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Getty Smoke rises from an Israeli attack on Shahran oil depot in Tehran on June 15

Iran and Israel continued to attack each other on Wednesday night, as US President Donald Trump said “I may do it, I may not do it” when asked whether the US would join the conflict. BBC experts and correspondents answer your questions about what is happening – and what could happen if the conflict escalates. Live: Israeli hospital damaged after direct hit by Iranian missile

Why is Israel bombing Iran now?

Israel’s position on this is that it has no choice, that it believes in the last few months Iran was accelerating towards building a nuclear weapon, and that talks aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear programme were going nowhere, and that therefore this was the last resort. They have said they see an existential threat from Iran, and have argued that if Iran acquired a nuclear weapon it would use it because it has previously vowed to destroy the state of Israel. That Iran was close to building a nuclear weapon is not necessarily a view shared by the rest of the region, and it is not necessarily shared by the International Atomic Energy Agency, nor is it shared by the last open source report we have seen from US intelligence which did not say that Iran was about to produce a nuclear weapon. – Frank Gardner, security correspondent

Where can civilians in Iran go?

The Israel Defense Forces has issued some evacuation notices for certain parts of the capital Tehran, but these areas are extremely dense and highly populated. We’ve seen footage of huge traffic jams as enormous lines of cars try to escape Tehran towards the northern part of the country, which they consider safe. But there have been strikes on those areas as well. Because the targets have been so widespread by Israel, no area can be considered safe. In Tehran, the government announced they were opening the metro stations 24 hours a day so people can take shelter. Tehran has 10 million people, so you can imagine evacuating that number of people is not really possible. – Nafiseh Kohnavard, Middle East correspondent

Reuters Ten million people live in Tehran

If US enters the conflict, would Iran strike US targets?

There is certainly risk, and the consequences for the US are fairly significant. There are about 40,000 to 50,000 US troops at around 19 locations across the Middle East. There are US personnel based in Cyprus, and a US naval facility in Bahrain. It will all depend on how the US decides to get involved, and to what extent. – Mikey Kay, Security Brief host

Could Iran’s proxies support it in conflict with Israel?

I don’t think so – not any longer. Since Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, 2023, Israel has systematically taken down a lot of the first line of defence that Iran had. They have depleted Hamas in Gaza, they have largely depleted Hezbollah’s arsenal in Lebanon, and Syria is no longer an ally of Iran because Bashar al-Assad has been deposed, albeit not by Israel. The Houthis meanwhile are relatively constrained in Yemen. So they are not very well coordinated. – Frank Gardner, security correspondent

EPA An Israeli strike on Hezbollah in Lebanon earlier this month

Who is Iran’s leader and how much support does he have?

Iran’s supreme leader is Ali Khamenei. He is a religious figure, but he has much more power than Iran’s president. He is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and is a decision-maker for the country, including negotiations with the US. But he does not command the support of all of Iran – his people are divided, and that division is deepening. Iran witnessed huge protests against the regime only two years ago. Women participated in those protests, demanding their rights and freedoms. But we cannot ignore that this regime still has its supporters – including in the armed forces which are connected to the regime. – Nafiseh Kohnavard, Middle East correspondent

Reuters Ali Khamenei

What happens if the regime is overthrown in Iran?

There’s no clear answer. We’ve seen over the last few years that there is no united opposition who could work together to replace the government. Right now there are different options, including Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the former Shah of Iran, who is now living abroad. He has supporters inside and outside Iran, but how many we can’t really say. He has opponents as well, including reformists inside. They may not want to go back to Iran’s monarchy that was overthrown nearly 40 years ago. So it’s not clear if there is one replacement. – Nafiseh Kohnavard, Middle East correspondent

Where is Fordo and what is it?

Fordo is about 200km (124 miles) south of Tehran and is one of two critical enrichment facilities Iran has. It has been built into a mountain for its protection. And it is basically one of the key enrichment facilities that Iran has been using to boost its enriched uranium stockpile. Fordo has been struck by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) already. However, it is believed the attacks were going after Iran’s surface-to-air missiles and air defence capabilities around it, in order to make it more vulnerable. – Mikey Kay, Security Brief host

Maxar Fordo is buried deep beneath a mountain

How close is Iran to getting a nuclear bomb?

The only people who know for certain whether or not Iran was working towards building a nuclear bomb are Iran’s most trusted nuclear scientists, the inner core of security officials and the supreme leader himself. The rest is conjecture. But the alarm was raised earlier this month when the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, found Iran to be in breach of its non-proliferation obligations, for the first time in nearly 20 years. Iran has amassed around 400kg of uranium enriched to 60%, well beyond the level needed for civil nuclear purposes. The UN agency said Iran had failed to cooperate fully and that it was unable to verify there had been no diversion of nuclear material to nuclear weapons. That is not the same though, as stating Iran was racing towards building a bomb. The Israeli military said last week that “over the past few months intelligence has shown that Iran is closer than ever to obtaining a nuclear weapon”. But whose intelligence? Not apparently, its closest ally’s. In March, the US director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, told Congress that “while Iran had an unprecedented stockpile of weapons-grade uranium, it did not appear to be building a nuclear weapon”. Iran, meanwhile, has always maintained that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful. – Frank Gardner, security correspondent

Does Israel have nuclear weapons?

EU’s 27 countries struggle to find a united voice on Gaza

3 hours ago Share Save Nick Beake Europe correspondent Share Save

Anadolu via Getty Images

For the protesters waving Palestinian flags outside EU buildings in Brussels, it was the moment that everything might change. An EU report presented to foreign ministers had found there were indications Israel had breached human rights obligations under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, ahead of Thursday’s European Union leaders’ summit. The European Union is Israel’s biggest trading partner, and the protesters were demanding that the EU suspend its 25-year-old trade accord over Israel’s actions in Gaza. But their hopes that EU leaders would agree to suspend the agreement with Israel were soon dashed, because despite the report deep divisions remain over the war in Gaza.

The protesters have been backed by more than 100 NGOs and charities. In 20 months of Israeli military operations more than 55,000 Gazans have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Another 1.9 million people have been displaced. Israel also imposed a total blockade on humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza at the start of March, which it partially eased after 11 weeks following pressure from US allies and warnings from global experts that half a million people were facing starvation. Since then, the UN says more than 400 Palestinians are reported to have been killed by Israeli gunfire or shelling while trying to reach food distribution centres run by a US and Israeli-backed organisation. Another 90 have also reportedly been killed by Israeli forces while attempting to approach convoys of the UN and other aid groups. “Every red line has been crossed in Gaza” Agnes Bertrand-Sanz from Oxfam told the BBC. “Every rule has been breached. It really is high time that the European Union acts.”

“Every red line has been crossed in Gaza”, said Agnes Bertrand-Sanz from Oxfam

As the report was made public, it fell to foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to explain what the European Union would do next. The EU’s first goal would be to “change the situation” on the ground in Gaza, she said. If that did not happen, “further measures” would be discussed next month on how to suspend the association agreement. “We will contact Israel to, you know, present our finding,” she stumbled in an uncharacteristically faltering manner. “Because that is the focus of the member states, to really, you know… be very, very sure about the feelings that we have here.”

NGOs said the EU had missed an opportunity to take action and that the response was feeble. The Israeli foreign ministry called the review “a complete moral and methodological failure.”

Getty Images A hundred NGOs and charities are backing protesters demanding EU action on Gaza

For some of the EU’s critics, the episode was a vivid example of how the EU can talk a good game about being the biggest global humanitarian aid donor to Gaza, but badly struggles to present any coherent or powerful voice to match it. As the world’s biggest market of 450 million people, the EU carries great economic weight but it is not translating into political clout. “The fact that European countries and the UK are not doing more to put pressure on Israel and to enforce international humanitarian law, it makes it very difficult for these countries to be credible,” said Olivier De Schutter, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on human rights. “War crimes are being committed at a very large scale In Gaza, there is debate about whether this amounts to genocide, but even if there’s no genocide there is a duty to act.” De Schutter fears the EU’s soft power is being lost and its inaction makes it much harder for it to persuade to countries in Africa, Asia in Latin America to back Europe on condemning Russia’s war in Ukraine, for example. Israel maintains it acts within international law and that its mission is to destroy Hamas and bring home the remaining hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023. About 1,200 people were killed in the attack, which triggered Israel’s offensive on Gaza.

NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP Austria’s Foreign Affairs Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger argues that suspending the EU’s treaty with Israel would not improve the situation on the ground

UN condemns Gaza aid ‘death trap’ as dozens reported killed by Israeli fire

2 days ago Share Save Yolande Knell Middle East correspondent Share Save

AFP There were chaotic scenes as men with gunshot wounds were brought to al-Awda hospital in Nuseirat

At least 46 people waiting for aid have been killed by Israeli fire in two incidents in central and southern Gaza, according to rescuers and hospitals. UN agencies have condemned the US and Israel-backed food distribution system, with one official calling it “an abomination” and “a death trap”. Such deadly incidents have recently become a near daily occurrence but have attracted relatively little attention outside Gaza since Israel attacked Iran more than a week ago. Without including the latest deaths, the UN has said that more than 410 Palestinians are reported to have been killed by Israeli gunfire or shelling since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began work in late May.

“Why are our children’s lives seen as so cheap?” demanded Umm Raed al-Nuaizi, a widow whose son was shot and wounded after he went overnight to collect food for his hungry family in central Gaza. “My son went to get a grain of flour so that he could eat and feed his siblings, and now he is in the intensive care unit.”

Umm Raed al-Nuaizi’s son was shot and wounded after he went to collect food

Footage from al-Awda hospital in Nuseirat showed chaotic scenes as young men with gunshot wounds were carried in, groaning in pain and some drenched in blood. Soon every bed was filled, and casualties covered the floor. An older man was set down dead as his wife, bereft, cradled his face and wept. Hospital officials and the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency said that at least 21 people were killed and some 150 injured. Witnesses said that thousands had crowded near a site run by the GHF in an Israeli military zone when soldiers opened fire. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said a gathering had been “identified in an area adjacent to IDF troops operating in the Netzarim corridor”. “Reports of injured individuals as a result of IDF fire in the area were received. The details are under review,” it stated. The GHF said there were “no incidents near any of our sites this morning”.

AFP Some men were pictured returning to Nuseirat with bags of food aid overnight

Paramedics and rescuers said that at least 25 people were also killed near a site run by the GHF in southern Gaza on Tuesday morning. A witness told the BBC that he had gone to a site north of Rafah at 05:00, but shortly before it was due to open at 10:00, Israeli tanks advanced towards them and opened fire with no announcements. “The shooting was directly on the civilians and blood got everywhere,” Hatem Abu Rjileh said. “Everyone around us got wounded, there may be more than 30 wounded whom no-one was able to rescue. We only managed to rescue our relative and left with him.” The IDF told the BBC that “contrary to the reports being spread out, the IDF is not aware of the incident in question at the Rafah aid distribution site”.

Israel eased its total blockade of Gaza just over a month ago, and the GHF began operations a few days later. The group says it has since provided 41 million meals. While GHF is officially classed as a private organisation, it has opaque funding and is backed by the US and Israel. It uses armed private security contractors. The UN and major aid groups have refused to co-operate with the foundation, accusing it of co-operating with Israel’s goals in the 20-month-old war against Hamas in a way that violates humanitarian principles. However, Israel sees the GHF as key to a new aid plan which it says will undermine what remains of Hamas control in Gaza.

Reuters People desperate for aid have also taken to gathering along aid convoy routes

As news of the latest incidents broke, a spokesman for the UN human rights office, Thameen al-Kheetan, held a briefing in Geneva condemning the system. “Israel’s militarised humanitarian assistance mechanism is in contradiction with international standards on aid distribution,” he said. “The weaponization of food for civilians, in addition to restricting or preventing their access to life-sustaining services constitutes a war crime.” He added that it was for courts to decide if war crimes had been committed. Speaking to reporters in Berlin, Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa), said: “The newly created, so-called mechanism is an abomination that humiliates and degrades desperate people. It is a death trap costing more lives than it saves.” Asked for a response to recent UN criticism, the IDF told the BBC that it allowed the GHF “to operate independently in distributing aid to the residents of Gaza and is working to ensure its safe and continuous distribution, in accordance with international law”.

Reuters More than 410 Palestinians are reported to have been killed by Israeli gunfire or shelling while trying to reach aid distribution points since late May