BBC Denies Wrong Reporting Over Alleged Israeli Shooting
By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
LONDON/BUDAPEST/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Britain’s public broadcaster rejected what it called “incorrect White House criticism” of its Gaza coverage, describing a claim that it had taken down a story as “completely wrong.”
At Tuesday’s White House briefing, U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt accused the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) of taking “the word of Hamas” when reporting on the number of people killed in a shooting near an aid distribution site on Sunday.
She also claimed that the BBC had retracted a story, which the broadcaster denied. “The claim the BBC took down a story after reviewing footage is completely wrong. We did not remove any story, and we stand by our journalism,” the BBC stressed in a statement.
Karoline Leavitt criticized the BBC for changing the number of casualties in the story’s headline. The corporation said its coverage was updated with new figures throughout the day, which is “totally normal practice on any fast-moving news story.”
The numbers were “always clearly attributed, from the first figure of 15 from medics, through the 31 killed from the Hamas-run health ministry to the final Red Cross statement of ‘at least 21’ at their field hospital,” the statement said.
Conflicting reports exist about what happened on Sunday near an aid distribution center in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah.
CIVILIAN WITNESSES
The BBC cited “civilian witnesses, NGOs, and health officials” as saying people were “shot at” while waiting for food at an aid distribution point.
But the Israeli military said the reports were false and denied that its troops fired at civilians near or within the site.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a U.S. and Israel-backed group that now runs the aid distribution, said the reports were “outright fabrications.” Worthy News also reported the denial.
However, the BBC said Israel “does not allow” international news organizations, including the BBC, into Gaza, making verifying what is happening in the territory difficult.
It was also unclear how much space Hamas gives to independent journalists, with intimidation and shootings of critics widely reported.
On Tuesday, there was a similar incident when Hamas-linked officials said Israeli forces fired at civilians as they attempted to collect aid, killing at least 27 people.
‘SUSPECTS SHOT’
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its troops fired shots after identifying “suspects” who moved towards them “deviating from the designated access routes.”
The White House press secretary also accused the BBC of removing a story because it “couldn’t find any evidence of anything” – referring to a report by the BBC Verify service examining a video widely distributed on social media.
In its statement, the BBC explained that this report on Monday, which examined the footage, found that “a viral video posted on social media was not linked to the aid distribution center it claimed to show.” However, the broadcaster stressed that the video did not run on BBC news channels or inform its reporting.
“Conflating these two stories is simply misleading. It is vital to bring people the truth about what is happening in Gaza. International journalists are not currently allowed into Gaza and we would welcome the support of the White House in our call for immediate access,” the BBC stated.
However, the BBC has come under fire over previous reports. In November 2023, the BBC apologized after an anchor misquoted a Reuters news agency report, mistakenly saying during a live broadcast that “Israel’s military siege and raid of a Gaza hospital” targeted medical staff and Arabic speakers, prompting an outcry from some Jewish groups.
The Reuters report quoted an IDF spokesperson saying, “Our medical teams and Arabic-speaking soldiers are on the ground to ensure that these supplies reach those in need.”
MISQUOTING REUTERS
The news anchor said that the Israeli military was “targeting people including medical teams as well as Arab speakers” in Gaza’s Al Shifa hospital, a misquote of the Reuters report.
Earlier in October 2023, the BBC admitted one of its reporters was wrong to “speculate” on what caused a large explosion at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital’s parking lot when the reporter speculated the blast came from an Israeli strike, adding, “It’s hard to see what else it could be.”
Israel denied its involvement, with both the U.S. and Israel later stating a misfired rocket, saying it likely came from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad that is believed to have killed and injured hundreds of people.
The Jewish nation launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas’ cross-border attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 54,470 people have been killed in Gaza since then, including 4,201 since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Israel has given somewhat lower figures and says some 20,000 Hamas fighters are among those killed. It also says that people in Gaza have been used “as human shields” by Hamas, which is hiding in tunnels and elsewhere near civilian sites, including hospitals and schools as well as churches.
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