Reform UK MPs are demanding sackings at the BBC after the corporation finally bowed to pressure and deleted a controversial Gaza documentary from its website.
Earlier this week the BBC released Gaza: How to Survive A War Zone, centred on a 13-year-old boy dealing with the fallout from the war.
However it was soon revealed that the boy in question was the son of a Hamas official, sparking further accusations of pro-Gaza bias from the broadcaster.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said she would be raising the issue with the BBC’s director general and chairman, with her Tory opposite demanding answers.
This morning the film was pulled by the BBC and is no longer available on its catch-up service.
Responding to the move, Reform UK MPs have rounded on the corporation, warning that merely scrubbing the evidence is not good enough.
Rupert Lowe said the BBC “does not deserve the licence fee”, adding: “Now there needs to be sackings.”
Richard Tice agreed, posting on X: “People should be fired at the BBC.
“Why should we be forced to pay for the BBC licence fee to promote Hamas?”
Conservative shadow culture minister Saqib Bhatty said the BBC has done the “right thing” in removing it, but warned that “serious questions remain.”
He re-shared a clip of him on GB News last night accusing the BBC of failing “in their most basic checks.”
“This clearly fell below expected journalistic standards that we expect from the BBC.”
He said one question that must be answered is where did the money funding the film go, and demanded a full investigation to ensure it never happens again.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is yet to comment since the BBC pulled the film.
In a statement from the BBC, a spokesman said: “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 programme and in the light of these, we are conducting further due diligence with the production company.
“The programme will not be available on iPlayer while this is taking place.”
Campaigners blasted the broadcaster for giving Abdullah prime-time coverage on a Monday night and accused the BBC of failing to “carry out the most basic journalistic checks”.
Former director of BBC Television Danny Cohen said: “The BBC appears to have given an hour of prime-time coverage to the son of a senior member of the Hamas terrorist group.
“Either they were not aware of the terrorist links because they did not carry out the most basic journalistic checks or the BBC did know and misled audiences about the family’s deep involvement with terrorism.”
A spokesman for the Campaign Against Antisemitism added: “If these allegations are true then the BBC has essentially published long-form propaganda for an antisemitic genocidal terror organisation with licence-fee funds.”
