BBC pulls controversial Gaza documentary from iPlayer following backlash

The BBC has pulled its controversial Gaza documentary from iPlayer following backlash.

Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone was broadcast on Monday evening, depicting a "vivid and unflinching view of life" in Gaza, according to documentary makers.

The raw and often graphic documentary featured multiple accounts of the conflict, with the hour-long film featuring a young Palestinian in devastated Gaza who was revealed to be the grandson of one of Hamas' founders.

The BBC issued an apology on Wednesday night, claiming it “had not been informed” of the connection by the documentary’s producers before it was broadcast.

It later added a disclaimer to the programme.

Now, it has been completely removed from iPlayer, with a pop-up reading: "This programme is not currently available on iPlayer."

On its clarifications and corrections page, the BBC said: "Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone features important stories we think should be told – those of the experiences of children in Gaza.

"There have been continuing questions raised about the programme and in light of these, we are conducting further due diligence with the production company.

"The programme will not be available on iPlayer while this is taking place."

It comes after Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told LBC that she would be meeting with bosses to discuss the documentary.

She said she would be raising questions about how the BBC sourced the people featured in the show.

Lisa Nandy will discuss BBC Gaza documentary with them

The BBC was accused of "blindly spouting propaganda" when the documentary first aired.

Speaking with LBC on Wednesday, Danny Cohen, former Director of BBC Television, told Nick Ferrari the BBC broadcast a clearly "bias" documentary.

"At an absolute minimum, audiences, license fee payers, should be aware that the son of a Hamas leader is in it," he told Nick.

"It looks, by the way Nick, [as though] the same child appeared in a Channel 4 story a few weeks ago.

"He was accompanied by a man that appears to be his father – who is clearly his father."

He also called for “full transparency” over the way in which the organisation conducts its journalism.

A spokesman for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said: "If these allegations are true then the BBC has essentially published long-form propaganda for an antisemitic genocidal terror organisation with licence-fee funds."