POLL OF THE DAY: Does the BBC's apology over 'serious flaws' in the Hamas documentary go far enough?

Son of Hamas's deputy agriculture minister

POLL OF THE DAY: Does the BBC's apology over 'serious flaws' in the Hamas documentary go far enough?

BBC
Oliver Trapnell

By Oliver Trapnell


Published: 28/02/2025

- 05:00

Do you think the BBC's apology goes far enough? Have your say in the comments below

The BBC has apologised for "serious flaws" in a controversial Gaza documentary after it emerged one of the film's key contributors was the son of a senior Hamas official.

The documentary sparked outrage and was later removed from the broadcaster's Player service.


The documentary, titled "Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone", featured interviews with Abdullah Al-Yazouri, who is the son of Hamas's Deputy Agriculture Minister Ayman Alyazouri.

The revelation led Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to demand assurances from BBC director-general Tim Davie that the broadcaster had not paid money to Hamas terrorists.

The BBC issued a lengthy apology, stating: "BBC News has conducted an initial review on the programme Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone."

"It has identified serious flaws in the making of this programme."

"Some of these were made by the production company and some by the BBC; all of them are unacceptable," the statement continued.

"BBC News takes full responsibility for these and the impact that these have had on the corporation's reputation. We apologise for this."

The BBC board separately acknowledged that "the mistakes here are significant and damaging to the BBC".

The board stated that while the documentary's subject was "a legitimate area to explore", trust in journalism remains paramount.

With that in mind, do you think the BBC's apology over 'serious flaws' in the Hamas documentary goes far enough? Vote now in the poll below and have your say in the comment section.