The BBC has firmly rejected accusations from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt regarding its reporting on a tragic incident in Gaza, asserting that no story was removed and emphasizing their commitment to accurate journalism. During a Tuesday press briefing, Leavitt criticized the BBC for allegedly relying on information from Hamas regarding casualties near an aid distribution site in Rafah and for retracting a story related to the incident.
However, the BBC responded, affirming, "The claim the BBC took down a story after reviewing footage is completely wrong. We did not remove any story and we stand by our journalism." The BBC explained that updates to casualty figures were in line with standard practices in fast-evolving news situations, clearly attributing each number to its source — from initial reports of 15 deaths from medics to later affirmations of 31 dead from Hamas-run health officials, culminating in a final count of "at least 21" verified by the Red Cross.
The incident has stirred controversy amid conflicting accounts regarding events at the aid site, where civilian eyewitnesses and NGOs reported shootings, while the Israeli military declared these accounts false, denying any involvement. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which supports the aid distribution, labelled the reports as "outright fabrications."
Given that international journalists, including those from the BBC, are barred from entering Gaza, accurately verifying reports from the area remains a significant challenge. On the same day as the White House briefing, multiple local officials alleged Israeli forces had shot at civilians collecting aid, resulting in at least 27 deaths, a narrative the Israeli Defense Forces refuted, stating they had acted in response to suspected threats.
In addition, Leavitt accused the BBC of retracting a story because it "couldn't find any evidence of anything." The BBC clarified that a specific report it published found that a viral video promoted on social media did not showcase the aid distribution centre as claimed, yet noted that this video did not inform or alter their news coverage. They further expressed concern, stating, "Conflating these two stories is simply misleading," while calling on the White House for support in facilitating journalistic access to Gaza.
This exchange comes against the backdrop of an ongoing military campaign launched by Israel in response to a Hamas attack on October 7, resulting in thousands of casualties. The health ministry in Gaza reports over 54,470 fatalities since the onset of hostilities, intensifying scrutiny over the region's humanitarian crisis.
However, the BBC responded, affirming, "The claim the BBC took down a story after reviewing footage is completely wrong. We did not remove any story and we stand by our journalism." The BBC explained that updates to casualty figures were in line with standard practices in fast-evolving news situations, clearly attributing each number to its source — from initial reports of 15 deaths from medics to later affirmations of 31 dead from Hamas-run health officials, culminating in a final count of "at least 21" verified by the Red Cross.
The incident has stirred controversy amid conflicting accounts regarding events at the aid site, where civilian eyewitnesses and NGOs reported shootings, while the Israeli military declared these accounts false, denying any involvement. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which supports the aid distribution, labelled the reports as "outright fabrications."
Given that international journalists, including those from the BBC, are barred from entering Gaza, accurately verifying reports from the area remains a significant challenge. On the same day as the White House briefing, multiple local officials alleged Israeli forces had shot at civilians collecting aid, resulting in at least 27 deaths, a narrative the Israeli Defense Forces refuted, stating they had acted in response to suspected threats.
In addition, Leavitt accused the BBC of retracting a story because it "couldn't find any evidence of anything." The BBC clarified that a specific report it published found that a viral video promoted on social media did not showcase the aid distribution centre as claimed, yet noted that this video did not inform or alter their news coverage. They further expressed concern, stating, "Conflating these two stories is simply misleading," while calling on the White House for support in facilitating journalistic access to Gaza.
This exchange comes against the backdrop of an ongoing military campaign launched by Israel in response to a Hamas attack on October 7, resulting in thousands of casualties. The health ministry in Gaza reports over 54,470 fatalities since the onset of hostilities, intensifying scrutiny over the region's humanitarian crisis.
