I am writing to raise concern over your 3 June report describing Gaza as “Hamas-controlled.” It is more accurate to describe Gaza as Israeli-occupied, a status recognised by the UN and international law (ICJ reaffirmed this in July 2024), since Israel controls its borders, airspace, aid, and infrastructure – conditions of siege.

Your repeated use of “Hamas-run” before casualty figures, used in 79% of BBC coverage, casts doubt on sources cited by eyewitnesses, the UN and NGOs, while Israeli military claims go unqualified.

This breaches OFCOM’s Broadcasting Code, specifically Section 5.1 on due accuracy and Section 5.2 on impartiality in matters of political controversy and conflict.

If this reflects BBC policy, you must disclose the editorial guidelines under the Royal Charter. If not, the practice must stop.

This framing dehumanises Palestinians and obscures Israel’s genocidal violence. I urge your editorial team to issue a correction and adopt accurate terms such as “Israeli-occupied” Gaza.