Ofcom has sanctioned the BBC for breaching the broadcasting code after it failed to disclose that the narrator of a Gaza documentary had links to Hamas.
The watchdog’s investigation into Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone concluded that the programme was ‘materially misleading’.
The film was removed from BBC iPlayer in February after it emerged that Abdullah, the child narrator, was the son of Hamas’s deputy minister of agriculture.
His connection to the terrorist organistion was not made clear to viewers when it first aired on BBC2.
Ofcom said it considered the breach ‘to be serious’ and as such ‘warranted the imposition of a sanction’.
It has ordered the BBC to broadcast a statement of its findings on BBC2 at 9pm on a date to be decided by the regulator.
A spokesperson for Ofcom said: ‘Our investigation found that the programme’s failure to disclose that the narrator’s father held a position in the Hamas-run administration was materially misleading.
‘It meant that the audience did not have critical information which may have been highly relevant to their assessment of the narrator and the information he provided.
‘Trust is at the heart of the relationship between a broadcaster and its audience, particularly for a public service broadcaster such as the BBC.
‘Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone’ was narrated by the 13-year-old son of a deputy agriculture minister in the Hamas-run government
The film was removed from BBC iPlayer in February after it emerged that Abdullah, child narrator, was the son of Hamas’ s deputy minister of agriculture
‘This failing had the potential to erode the significantly high levels of trust that audiences would have placed in a BBC factual programme about the Israel-Gaza war.
‘As this represents a serious breach of our rules, we are directing the BBC to broadcast a statement of our findings against it on BBC2 at 9pm, with a date to be confirmed.’
In July, the BBC published the findings of its internal review into the matter.
It said that the programme, which was made by independent production company Hoyo Films, had breached the BBC’s editorial guidelines on accuracy.
A BBC spokesperson said: ‘The Ofcom ruling is in line with the findings of Peter Johnston’s review that there was a significant failing in the documentary in relation to the BBC’s editorial guidelines on accuracy, which reflects rule 2.2 of Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code.
‘We have apologised for this and we accept Ofcom’s decision in full.
‘We will comply with the sanction as soon as the date and wording are finalised.’
The BBC previously said that Hoyo Films failed to tell them on multiple occasions about potential connections the narrator and his family might have with Hamas.
They only acknowledged that they knew about the connection after transmission.
Controversy around ‘Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone’ forced the BBC to issue an apology and pull the programme from iPlayer
Whilst the BBC stressed the production company was independent, they accepted that ‘the processes and execution of this programme fell short of our expectations’.
The broadcaster’s director general has also previously apologised, saying there had been ‘a significant failing in relation to accuracy’.
The BBC has faced a number of allegations of anti-Israel bias while covering the war in Gaza.
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick previously said: ‘Ever since the October 7 attack, the BBC has comprehensively failed the licence fee payer.
Despite endless warnings about inaccurate and biased reporting, they have learnt nothing.
‘We need a full investigation to get to the bottom of this. Did the producers collude with Hamas officials in Gaza in the making of this documentary?
‘Did the BBC, and therefore the licence fee payer, inadvertently fund a terrorist organisation?’
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