Friday, July 4, 2025
GAZA DOCTORS UNDER ATTACK, THE FILM THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE
"The BBC commissioned the documentary: The film, made by Basement Films, was intended to highlight the experiences of medics in Gaza. Impartiality concerns: The BBC stated that broadcasting the material "risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC". Previous incident and pause: Production of Doctors Under Attack was paused in April 2025 following a controversy surrounding another documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, where the narrator was the child of a Hamas minister. The BBC initially said it would wait for the findings of a review into the earlier film before proceeding with Doctors Under Attack."
"Transfer of ownership: The BBC ultimately transferred ownership of the film material to Basement Films. Broadcast by Channel 4: Channel 4 acquired the documentary and broadcast it, with their Head of News and Current Affairs stating it offered "powerful evidence" about the experiences of doctors in Gaza.
Context and related information: Allegations in the film: The documentary features firsthand accounts of Israeli military attacks on hospitals and healthcare workers in Gaza, which some argue would constitute war crimes. The film also includes allegations of abuse and torture of Palestinian detainees, and accusations of complicity against Israeli medics.
Criticism of the BBC's decision: The BBC's decision has been criticized by various parties, including the documentary filmmakers, who felt the decision was politically motivated and hindered important journalism. Some BBC journalists also signed a letter calling the decision a "political decision" that didn't reflect the film's quality.
Channel 4's perspective: Channel 4 defended its decision to air the documentary, emphasizing the importance of telling stories people need to know, even if they are uncomfortable. They also stated they conducted rigorous editorial checks.
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