The BBC has consistently sided with Israel in its coverage of Israel’s war in Gaza, a study has found. The BBC’s presenters highlighted Israel’s position more than six times more often than the Palestinians, according to a report by news analytics platform NewsCord.
The investigation, titled ‘BBC: Wood Saw Files’, analyzed 51,303 news programs and 1,618 news reports broadcast on the BBC from October 7, 2023, to November 4, 2026.
The research found that BBC presenters made pro-Israeli arguments 252 times when interviewing critics of Israel’s actions in Gaza. In contrast, the Palestinian side was mentioned only 15 times when interviewing pro-Israeli figures.
According to the report, in 9.8 percent of interviews with critics of Israel, presenters presented Israel’s arguments. On the other hand, in interviews with supporters of Israel, the Palestinian arguments were presented only 1.5 percent of the time.
Nima Akram, founder and CEO of NewsCord, said the BBC was not only broadcasting Israel’s narrative, but in many cases was making its own arguments on Israel’s behalf. The report also found that there was a wide disparity in the use of phrases such as ‘Israel might say’ and ‘Palestinians might say’.
Palestinian or UN statements opposing an Israeli claim were included in only 25 percent of cases. In contrast, the country’s counter-statements following criticism of Israel were included in 49 percent of cases.
The investigation also found that the BBC failed to cover controversial statements by top Israeli leaders adequately. An analysis of statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant found that the BBC presenter directly mentioned one of these statements in only 1 of 252 interviews.
Akram said that when it comes to impartiality, the same criteria must be followed for both Israel and Palestine. Just as it is necessary to present the Palestinians’ statements to Israel’s supporters, the country’s leaders should also verify their own statements when promoting Israel’s statements.
Meanwhile, the BBC has long been under fire for its biased reporting on Gaza. In 2024, an investigative report by journalist and author Owen Jones exposed allegations by 13 current and former BBC staff, including allegations that Middle East editor Rafi Berg had covered up Israel’s responsibilities. Berg and the BBC have denied the allegations.
