Kemi Badenoch has demanded urgent answers from the BBC over its decision to release a BBC documentary narrated by the son of a Hamas official.
The Leader of the Opposition quizzed BBC boss Tim Davie on whether licence-fee money was given to terrorists in Gaza, later suggesting the Tories could look to axe the TV tax unless "serious action" is taken.
In her letter, Badenoch called for an inquiry into "potential collusion with Hamas" and the "possibility of payment" to members of the proscribed terror organisation.
However, the BBC was unable to answer her question last night and is carrying out "further due diligence" on how the programme was made.
Kemi Badenoch
PA
The furore centres around the BBC's Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone documentary, which was narrated by the son of Hamas's deputy agriculture minister Ayman Alyazouri.
Israel's deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel told GB News that the documentary was "absolutely outrageous", adding: "This is pure propoganda that is being promoted by the BBC."
In her letter to Davie, Badenoch said: "It is now clear to me that you should commission a full independent inquiry to consider this and wider allegations of systemic BBC bias against Israel.
"It is well known that inside Gaza the influence of the proscribed terrorist organisation Hamas is pervasive.
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Protesters outside BBC Broadcasting House, LondonPA"How could any programme from there be commissioned, without comprehensive work by the BBC to ensure that presenters or participants were – as far as possible – not linked to that appalling regime?
"Would the BBC be this naive if it was commissioning content from North Korea or the Islamic Republic of Iran?"
She added: "Surely it should have been immediately apparent that the programme was fundamentally flawed?
"Such an investigation must consider allegations of potential collusion with Hamas, and the possibility of payment to Hamas officials."
BBC's Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone documentary was narrated by the son of Hamas's deputy agriculture minister Ayman Alyazouri
BBC
In a warning to Broadcasting House about the future of the licence fee amid ongoing BBC bias accusations, Badenoch warned: "The Conservative Party has supported the BBC in Government, including through the current Charter which will end in 2027.
"I cannot see how my party could support the continuation of the current licence fee-based system without serious action."
After eyebrows were first raised about the documentary using the son of a Hamas official, the BBC tried to point the finger at London-based production company Hoyo Films.
However, the contract between the BBC and Hoyo suggests Broadcasting House had direct and regular involvement with production.
Tim Davie
GettyThe BBC later decided to remove the documentary from BBC iPlayer.
In a statement, the BBC said: "We’ve promised our audiences the highest standards of transparency, so it is only right that as a result of this new information, we add some more detail to the film before its re-transmission."
"The narrator of this film is 13-year-old Abdullah," it added.
"His father has worked as a deputy agriculture minister for the Hamas-run government in Gaza."
It is understood that BBC executives will demand answers at a board meeting this week and Commons Culture Committee chair Caroline Dinenage will soon question the corporation's bosses.
Israel's war with Hamas has sparked numerous BBC bias rows since the October 7 attack, with concerns first being raised about the decision to label the terror group as militants.
It was later claimed that the BBC breached its own guidelines 1,500 times over the conflict.
