Counter Terrorism police are “assessing” whether “police action” is required after the BBC admitted paying family members of a senior Hamas official for a Gaza documentary.
Officers are reviewing “a number of reports raising concerns” about the programme.
A Met spokesperson confirmed: “Officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command are currently assessing whether any police action is required in relation to this matter.”
The documentary “Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone” was removed from BBC iPlayer after revelations that its 14-year-old narrator was the son of a senior Hamas official.
Counter Terrorism police are “assessing” whether “police action” is required after the BBC admitted paying family members of a senior Hamas official for a Gaza documentary
Getty/ BBC
The BBC has acknowledged “serious failings” in the making of the documentary.
The broadcaster published findings of an initial review yesterday into whether licence-fee payer money was sent to the terrorist group.
In a statement, the national broadcaster revealed that the boy’s mother had been paid “via his sister’s bank account” for his involvement in the documentary.
However, the corporation said they had been assured by independent production company Hoyo Films that no payments were made to “Hamas or its affiliates”.
The controversy sparked protests outside Broadcasting House in London, with demonstrators holding signs calling the BBC “spokespeople for terrorists”.
A coalition of politicians and Jewish leaders have demanded that counter-terrorism police investigate whether licence-fee money ended up in terrorists’ bank accounts.
Alex Hearn, Co-Director of Labour Against Antisemitism, told the Daily Mail: “There needs to be accountability for those who allowed the heard-earned money of British taxpayers to end up in the pockets of Hamas, a banned terrorist organisation.”
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“Counter terrorism police must now investigate what happened and arrests should be made,” he added.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism called the BBC “a national embarrassment” and said “clearly those responsible must lose their jobs.”
Labour MP Luke Akehurst said: “I expect far better from our national public broadcaster.”
“It’s the latest but one of the most shocking examples of their bias in their Middle East coverage,” he added.
“They really need to get their act together to restore their reputation for impartial coverage.”
Sharren Haskel, Deputy Foreign Minister of Israel, said: “Hamas is a proscribed terror organisation in the UK.
“There are legitimate questions that UK taxpayers’ money from the BBC could have been paid to Hamas, a monstrous terrorist organisation, whose savages murder babies and mothers in cold blood.
“The Metropolitan Police must investigate this immediately.”
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is set to meet with the BBC Chair today to discuss the controversial documentary.
Ahead of the meeting, Nandy said that “no stone” must be left unturned by a fact-finding review into the BBC.
The film was removed from BBC iPlayer after it was revealed that the young narrator of the film was the son of a Hamas ministerBBC
“The BBC has acknowledged serious failings by them and the production company Hoyo Films,” she stated.
“The public rightly holds the BBC to the highest standards of reporting and governance which is why I will be having an urgent meeting with the BBC Chair later today.”
On Thursday, the BBC published a statement apologising for “serious flaws” in the making of their documentary about Gaza.
The broadcaster admitted: “During the production process, the independent production company was asked in writing a number of times by the BBC about any potential connections he and his family might have with Hamas.
“Since transmission, they have acknowledged that they knew that the boy’s father was a Deputy Agriculture Minister in the Hamas Government; they have also acknowledged that they never told the BBC this fact.”
The BBC called it “our own failing that we did not uncover that fact and the documentary was aired.”
The corporation has committed to “a full audit of expenditure” and is requesting financial accounts from the production company.