BBC branded a ‘disgrace’ as broadcaster STILL won’t call Hamas terrorists in reports on group’s brutal violence against Israel
- 700 Israelis are believed to have died since the terrorist group launched its attack
- BBC constantly referred to Hamas as a ‘militant’ group and ‘militant’ attack
The BBC has been branded an ‘utter disgrace’ for refusing to refer to Hamas gunmen as terrorists in news broadcasts.
Although the Government classifies the group as a ‘single terrorist organisation’, the broadcaster has continuously referred to it as a ‘militant’ group and called the raid a ‘militant’ attack.
Yesterday there was growing unease over the BBC’s refusal to use the word terrorist in reference to the attacks, which saw the Islamist group inflict brutal violence on Israeli citizens.
About 700 Israelis are believed to have been killed since the Palestinian terrorists crossed into Israel from the Gaza Strip in a surprise attack.
A plume of smoke rises above buildings in Gaza City during an Israeli airstrike in retaliation for a Hamas attack on Saturday
One BBC online report described a warning that ‘Hamas militants from Gaza are still fighting’ in Israel, while another said Israeli security forces were carrying out operations to rescue hostages ‘taken by Palestinian militants’.
The choice of language comes despite shocking footage of the way innocent civilians were targeted in the attack.
A video showed a student shouting ‘Don’t kill me!’ after being seized at an outdoor peace festival and driven away by a gunman on a motorcycle. Former Tory Party chairman Eric Pickles said the broadcaster’s coverage was ‘universally biased and appalling’.
He added: ‘Hamas is a terrorist organisation. They break into civilian homes and kill children.
The BBC has been criticized for referring to Hamas, a terrorist group, as ‘militants’ and describing attacks as ‘militant attacks’.
‘It is unbelievable that the one place you look for balance, the BBC, does not provide coverage that is fair, balanced or reasonable.
“They have to manage.” Stephen Pollard, the editor-in-chief of the Jewish Chronicle newspaper, described the corporation as an ‘utter disgrace in the last 24 hours’.
A BBC spokesman said: ‘We reported the Hamas attacks and the response by Israel in accordance with the BBC’s editorial guidelines. We included contributors who condemned the attackers as terrorists.’