Home / Arts and Entertainment / Regulator Slams BBC's Failure to Disclose Presenter's Hamas Ties
Regulator Slams BBC's Failure to Disclose Presenter's Hamas Ties
17 Oct
Summary
- BBC documentary on Gaza war narrated by child of Hamas minister
- Ofcom ruled documentary was "materially misleading" to audiences
- BBC acknowledged serious editorial failing in not disclosing this fact
On October 17, 2025, the UK media regulator Ofcom delivered a scathing verdict against the BBC, ruling that the broadcaster's documentary "Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone" was "materially misleading" to its audience. The documentary, which premiered on February 17, 2025, was narrated by the child of a Hamas minister, a fact that was not disclosed to viewers.
Ofcom concluded that this failing had the "potential to erode the significantly high levels of trust" that audiences place in the BBC as a public service broadcaster. The regulator emphasized that trust is at the heart of the relationship between a broadcaster and its audience, and the BBC's lack of transparency in this case was a serious breach of that trust.
The BBC has already acknowledged the editorial failing, admitting that it was a serious mistake not to inform viewers of the narrator's Hamas ties. Now, Ofcom has ordered the BBC to broadcast a live statement on television addressing the issue and the regulator's findings.
