A wave of discontent has erupted inside the BBC after employees revealed in an open letter to management their deep frustration and anger at the corporation’s editorial stance on Palestine — especially after the BBC cancelled the broadcast of a documentary exposing Israeli attacks on Gaza hospitals. Staff accused the network of allowing its decisions to be influenced by a single figure with ties to the pro-Israel Jewish Chronicle.
On June 20, the BBC abruptly dropped the documentary “Gaza: Doctors Under Attack,” which investigates how Israeli strikes have devastated hospitals in Gaza in clear violation of international law, citing vague “concerns over impartiality.”
In response, Channel 4 announced it would air the film instead, stating it had reviewed the documentary and confirmed that it met Ofcom broadcasting standards in the UK.
The documentary was produced by Emmy-winning journalists Ramita Navai and Karim Khan, along with former Channel 4 editor Ben de Pear. Production company Basement Films stated that the film was scheduled for at least six broadcast dates and underwent thorough editorial checks by the BBC, yet was pulled at the last minute. Ben de Pear accused the BBC of stifling journalism and silencing voices.
According to the Daily Mail, more than 300 BBC journalists and other media professionals signed the open letter sent to the network’s leadership.
‘A Pattern of Censorship and Double Standards’
The letter, authored by BBC journalists and co-signed by figures across the media industry, expressed “grave concerns about opaque editorial decisions and censorship” when it comes to covering Israel and Palestine.
“This refusal to air ‘Gaza: Doctors Under Fire’ is just one example in a long series of decisions driven by an agenda,” the letter states, adding that the move shows yet again that the BBC “does not report without fear or favour when it comes to Israel.”
It stressed that the documentary was fully compliant with BBC editorial guidelines and standards but was blocked for what the staff describe as “political reasons that do not reflect the journalism in the film.”
The letter accuses the BBC of being “governed by fear” — fear of being labelled critical of the Israeli government.
The Role of the Jewish Chronicle Connection
The open letter specifically highlights the influence of Robbie Gibb, head of the BBC’s editorial standards committee and a board member. Gibb previously led a rescue effort to save the Jewish Chronicle — a paper widely criticised for publishing anti-Palestinian and often racially charged material — from liquidation in 2020. He remained its sole registered director until August 2024, according to Middle East Eye.
Staff argue this creates a clear conflict of interest, noting: “In some cases, BBC staff have been accused of having agendas for publishing critical reports about the Israeli government on social media, yet Gibb stays in an influential role with little transparency over his editorial decisions, despite his well-known ideological leanings. This dual role is indefensible.”
‘The BBC Is Failing Its Audience on Palestine’
Since October 2023, staff wrote, audiences have seen increasingly that the BBC’s coverage of Israel/Palestine “does not meet our own editorial standards.” They accused the network of failing to convey the reality and broader context of Israel’s war on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, despite credible reports from human rights organisations and the UN.
The letter describes the BBC’s coverage as “a PR campaign for the Israeli government and army — this should be deeply shameful and alarming to everyone at the BBC.”
Yet despite the network’s “failures,” the letter points to a shift in British public opinion in recent months. As “Israeli crimes against Palestinians have escalated,” the public and parliament have become more aware of the reality on the ground.
BBC’s Cancelled Gaza Coverage: A Troubling Pattern
This controversy follows a string of similar incidents. In February, the BBC pulled “Gaza: How to Survive in a War Zone,” a documentary about the impact of war on Gaza’s children. The film, broadcast briefly on BBC Two, was removed from its iPlayer service after it emerged that its main narrator, Abdullah, 13, was the son of a Hamas minister — an argument critics say is irrelevant to the film’s documented reality of the war’s impact on children.
The newly banned documentary “Gaza: Doctors Under Attack” shows the systematic targeting and destruction of all 36 main hospitals in Gaza, features testimony from local doctors, and documents how health workers have been killed, imprisoned, or tortured.
Staff Denounce Editorial Conflicts
One BBC insider told the Daily Mail that senior editorial staff, including seasoned journalists, repeatedly approved the documentary, only to see it postponed at least five times. “They told us it was important journalism that served the public interest,” the source said. “Then they apologised, blaming the repeated delays on another internal report, before finally pulling the film altogether.”
The letter warns that BBC decision-making is “increasingly detached from reality” and shaped by political agendas rather than the public’s right to know. It argues that the corporation’s approach “minimises Israel’s responsibility and reinforces the narrative that ‘Israel comes first,’ damaging our credibility.”
Alternative Outlets Step In
With the BBC refusing to air the film, Channel 4 will broadcast it instead, while Zeteo — the news platform founded by journalist Mehdi Hasan — has acquired the rights for global streaming.
In May, over 600 filmmakers, including Oscar winners, signed a petition condemning the BBC’s censorship and its ongoing suppression of the Palestinian narrative.
As the letter concludes: “We do not ask the BBC to take sides. We ask to be allowed to do our jobs — to present the facts transparently and in proper context.”
Keywords: BBC Gaza documentary ban, Gaza hospitals under attack, Israel Palestine censorship UK, Robbie Gibb Jewish Chronicle, BBC staff revolt, Gaza doctors under fire, BBC bias Israel Palestine, UK media Palestine coverage, Mehdi Hasan Zeteo Gaza film
