Overview

• Ofcom has launched a formal inquiry under its broadcasting code to determine if the Gaza film materially misled viewers.
• An internal review by Peter Johnston found the BBC breached accuracy guidelines by not disclosing that narrator Abdullah’s father was a Hamas deputy minister but ruled there was no impartiality breach.
• Leaked remarks from BBC News chief Deborah Turness distinguishing Hamas’s political and military wings sparked sharp rebukes over legal and ethical grounds.
• Shadow Culture Secretary Stuart Andrew labelled the BBC’s self-review a “whitewash” and called for independent scrutiny of its editorial oversight.
• The controversy has intensified questions about the BBC’s vetting processes and compliance with UK law proscribing all wings of Hamas.