UPDATE: The BBC has acknowledged “serious flaws” in the production of its controversial documentary “Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone” and initiated a further review following revelations about its narrator’s family connections to Hamas.
“BBC News has conducted an initial review on the program ‘Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone.’ Today the BBC Board was updated on that work. It has identified serious flaws in the making of this program. Some of these were made by the production company, and some by the BBC; all of them are unacceptable. BBC News takes full responsibility for these and the impact that these have had on the Corporation’s reputation. We apologize for this,” a spokesperson said in a statement that detailed multiple breakdowns in the production process.
The documentary, which features 13-year-old Abdullah Al-Yazouri narrating life in Gaza during the conflict, became the center of controversy when it emerged that the boy’s father, Ayman Alyazouri, serves as Hamas’s deputy minister of agriculture.
According to the BBC, production company Hoyo Films withheld crucial information despite direct questioning. “During the production process, the independent production company was asked in writing a number of times by the BBC about any potential connections he and his family might have with Hamas,” the spokesperson said. “Since transmission, they have acknowledged that they knew that the boy’s father was a Deputy Agriculture Minister in the Hamas Government.”
The broadcaster also disclosed that producer Hoyo Films paid the boy’s mother through his sister’s bank account for the narration, prompting a full financial audit. While Hoyo has assured the BBC that “no payments were made to members of Hamas or its affiliates,” the broadcaster is seeking “additional assurance around the budget” and has requested access to the production company’s financial accounts.
BBC director-general Tim Davie has appointed Peter Johnston, director of editorial complaints and reviews, to lead an independent investigation that will address whether editorial guidelines were broken and determine if disciplinary action is warranted.
The BBC Board, which met to discuss the matter, said: “The subject matter of the documentary was clearly a legitimate area to explore, but nothing is more important than trust and transparency in our journalism. While the board appreciates that mistakes can be made, the mistakes here are significant and damaging to the BBC.” It has required executives to report back “at the earliest opportunity” on the investigation’s findings.
The broadcaster confirmed it has “no plans to broadcast the program again in its current form or return it to iPlayer” pending the investigation’s completion.
PREVIOUSLY: The BBC has pulled its controversial Gaza documentary from its streaming platform iPlayer after revelations that its teenage narrator is the son of a Hamas official.
The doc, “Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone,” which initially aired on BBC Two, featured young Abdullah Al-Yazouri chronicling daily life in the war-torn region. The broadcaster faced immediate backlash when it came to light that Abdullah’s father, Ayman Alyazouri, holds the position of Hamas’s deputy minister of agriculture.
Industry figures, including “Friday Night Dinner” star Tracy-Ann Oberman, Neil Blair of The Blair Partnership, the literary agency that represents J.K. Rowling, former BBC One boss Danny Cohen, and producer Leo Pearlman, demanded the program’s removal and pressed for transparency regarding the broadcaster’s vetting process.
On Thursday, the BBC acknowledged its failure to disclose the narrator’s family ties to Hamas. While defending the documentary’s importance in highlighting children’s experiences in Gaza, the broadcaster confirmed it’s conducting “further due diligence” with London-based production company Hoyo Films.
A new statement from the BBC issued on Friday says: “‘Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone’ features important stories we think should be told – those of the experiences of children in Gaza. There have been continuing questions raised about the program and in the light of these, we are conducting further due diligence with the production company. The program will not be available on iPlayer while this is taking place.”
U.K. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has waded into the controversy, revealing plans to discuss the documentary with the BBC, particularly regarding its subject sourcing.
