The British public broadcaster BBC corrects a presenter for calling Hamas a ‘terrorist group’

The BBC has acknowledged that its live news channel violated editorial standards after a presenter described Hamas as a ‘terrorist group’ during a broadcast on 15 June.

The British broadcaster’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) ruled that it was incorrect to use that particular expression. The ruling, made public on Thursday, has reignited the debate over how the UK’s public broadcaster should refer to Hamas in its reporting.

Since the atrocities of 7 October in Israel, when some 1,200 Israelis were killed in attacks carried out by Hamas militants, the BBC has consistently refrained from calling the group a ‘terrorist organisation’ outright. Instead, its presenters often use alternative phrases such as ‘terrorist organisation’ in a more qualified sense, or ‘Palestinian armed group,’ in line with the corporation’s editorial guidelines.

This editorial stance has faced criticism from politicians and public figures, including former Prime Minister David Cameron during his tenure as Foreign Secretary, as well as representatives of the Jewish community such as Danny Cohen, former head of television at the BBC itself. Critics argue that the language the BBC chooses can appear to downplay the severity of Hamas’ actions and may undermine public understanding of the conflict.

The BBC, however, defends its approach by arguing that adopting the terminology used by the British government could make it appear as an arm of the state, which, according to the broadcaster, would compromise its commitment to impartiality when reporting on the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

Following the ECU’s resolution, the findings were forwarded to BBC News management and the editorial team responsible for the broadcast, with the expectation that editorial guidance will be reviewed and reinforced to prevent similar breaches in the future.