Complaint
A viewer objected to the events of 7 October 2023 being described as a “defeat” for Israel, arguing the word was misleading as it only applied to an armed conflict, whereas the victims were unarmed civilians. The ECU considered whether the broadcast met the editorial standards for impartiality and accuracy set out in the BBC Editorial Guidelines.
Outcome
The reference to Israel’s “defeat” was made in a report by the BBC’s International Editor on the death of Yahhya al Sinwar, the Hamas leader behind the 7 October attacks.
In the ECU’s view no-one watching the footage which accompanied the report, of gunmen firing indiscriminately on civilian homes and young people at a music festival running from armed attack, would have been in any doubt as to what had occurred or who the victims were. As the attack was seen as a significant failure of military intelligence for Israel and described as such, including by senior figures in Israel, and as the context made clear the sense in which “defeat” was being used, the ECU found neither inaccuracy nor bias.
Not Upheld