STATEMENT

PMA statement on BBC detained journalists, and White House accusations

6 June 2025
The BBC debunked criticisms of biased coverage from the White House, while a BBC team were detained by Israeli military forces.
BBC
LONDON- APRIL, 2019: The BBC or British Broadcasting Corporation headquarters building on Portland Place. Credit: Willy Barton/Shutterstock.com

Answers are urgently needed from officials in the US and Israel, after two separate but highly concerning incidents involving the BBC’s reporting in the Middle East. Earlier this week, the White House made misleading claims regarding its coverage that risks allowing disinformation to spread. The BBC has also lodged an official complaint with the Israeli military after its Arabic service correspondent and six others were detained in Syria by the military, and taken into Israel where they were strip-searched and interrogated.

White House makes misleading claims about news report

On Sunday 1 June, major news broke regarding an alleged attack on Palestinians on an aid route in Gaza, under Israeli military control. The Hamas-run Civil Defence agency later said 31 Palestinians were killed in the attack. Further attacks on the same aid route over the next two days also resulted in casualties, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross and health officials. The Israeli government described these claims as “false reports”.

The BBC covered the story, relying on sparse video footage from the area, as well as citing claims made by both Hamas and Israeli officials. The report was updated every time more information about the events was revealed, as is standard practice on developing stories.

Since the war in the Middle East broke out, major media organisations have been subjected to extraordinary levels of scrutiny over the balance of coverage, from audiences, officials and lobbyists. However, scrutiny of the BBC’s coverage was escalated this week when the White House Press Secretary attacked the organisation’s reporting. “Unfortunately, unlike some in the media, we don’t take the word of Hamas as total truth,” said Karoline Leavitt. She also alleged, based off claims initially made by a social media account, that the BBC had “taken down” a story.

However, a BBC statement and a subsequent BBC Verify video, said the claims from the White House were incorrect. “The claim the BBC took down a story after reviewing footage is completely wrong. We did not remove any story and we stand by our journalism,” the statement said.

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BBC Arabic news team detained for hours

The BBC also released a statement on Thursday, saying that on 9 May, BBC News Arabic correspondent, Feras Kilani, along with three more BBC staff members, and three freelance colleagues, were detained by the Israeli Defence Force for seven hours.

Read more: PMA and media organizations urge Israel to open access to Gaza

“The BBC strongly objects to the treatment of our staff and freelancers in this way, the statement said. “Despite making clear to the soldiers on multiple occasions they were working for the BBC, the behaviour they were subjected to is wholly unacceptable.”

In an interview on the Today programme, Kilani said the team was arrested in Syria and were then moved into the occupied zone. The military would have known he worked for the BBC, Kilani said, given he has visited Israel on multiple occasions in the last few years, and given they had documents showing they worked for the BBC. “Despite all of that that, despite [the fact] they know me, knew that we are a BBC team, they dealt with us in a really, really, really bad way.”

Kilani said they had rifles pointed at them, and while in detention, they were interrogated and strip-searched, while everyone except for Kilani was also blindfolded and handcuffed. He said they were accused of being spies for the new Syrian regime.

“It was really, really humiliating, and I don’t know why. I keep asking myself, why they feel that entitled to do so in another country?” Kilani said all the recording material they had gathered was deleted, but despite this, the soldiers still threatened them, if they published anything. “They literally threatened us that they knew everything about us. … They know our families, they know everything about us, they will reach us. … You expect this from a dictatorship. … I don’t expect this from the Israelis. It was really strange, and worrying and honestly, weeks after this accident, I’m still thinking about it, I don’t know how to handle it.”

The BBC has lodged an official complaint with the military, but no response has yet been given.

Urgent answers needed – PMA

The separate incidents highlight the pressures facing the BBC in its coverage of the Middle East. A separate statement on Tuesday said BBC Persian staff and their families had faced an escalation in threats from Iranian authorities, and the BBC is preparing to lodge a new complaint with the UN.

Journalists must never be treated the way that Kilani and his colleagues were by the Israeli Defence Force, and it is essential the Israeli Defence Force provides answers and takes action against such behaviour. Regardless of location, the actions of the soldiers were unacceptable. Journalists must never be treated with such demeaning and dehumanising practices, and those involved must be held responsible.

Organisations such as the BBC exist to provide – to the greatest extent it can – clarity on conflicts and humanitarian crises. This is a highly difficult and complex task, especially in Gaza, given Israel does not allow access to international journalists, and is further undermined by misleading claims about its reporting and editorial decisions. The BBC said, “We would welcome the support of the White House in our call for immediate access.”

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