Latest news with #RamitaNavai
The National
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
BBC claim it axed Gaza medics film over 'impartiality' is 'not true'
The Observer reports that the broadcaster had dropped the film seven weeks before issuing the statement, and had only been planning to show short clips of the documentary at that point. Journalists Ramita Navai and Ben de Pear, who produced Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, revealed details behind the BBC's decision not to go ahead with the documentary. After it was repeatedly delayed and then dropped by the BBC, Channel 4 aired the documentary instead. READ MORE: Inside the Scottish Greens leadership contest Produced by Basement Films, it shows the plight of medics in Gaza through witness accounts from frontline Palestinian health workers and documents the attacks on hospitals and clinics. And now, Navai and de Pear revealed that the BBC blocked the documentary on six separate occasions. The journalists claimed that the reason the broadcaster gave for the delays was an internal investigation over another documentary How to Survive a Warzone. The BBC launched the probe after it emerged that the film was narrated by a child of a Hamas minister, which was not addressed in the documentary. This ongoing saga led the BBC to become 'anxious' over showing another film on Gaza and executives 'inadvertently' leading them on, the journalists said. In June, the BBC said it had 'reached the end of the road' in discussions to find a way to air the documentary. "We have come to the conclusion that broadcasting this material risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC,' they said. "Impartiality is a core principle of BBC News. It is one of the reasons that we are the world's most trusted broadcaster." The producers of the film have disputed this. 'This was not true; it had dropped the film seven weeks earlier and at this point was only planning to show short clips of it,' they said. In response to the BBC claiming it had 'no choice' but to walk away from the documentary, they said: 'To be clear, what it was abandoning by this point was three one-minute clips.' It also emerged BBC bosses had attempted to downgrade Navai's role as correspondent to a 'contributor or third party reporter'. 'Eventually, we were told some of Ramita's tweets had been 'one-sided',' the journalists wrote. READ MORE: Ultra-Unionist fringe group fails to reach crowdfunder target 'There had been too many retweets of posts by organisations reporting the deaths and suffering of Palestinians and not supportive enough of the other side, they said.' They were then told this decision came from the 'top of BBC News, and of the BBC itself'. The BBC did not deny this and claimed there were 'concerns about some of Ms Navai's social media activity'. The broadcaster had also attempted to introduce a 'gagging clause' during negotiations over releasing the film back to the producers. It stipulated that 'neither we nor any third party buying the film would issue any disparaging statements about the BBC and/or 'do not suggest or imply that any version of the programme (a) was authorised or approved by the BBC, or (b) would not be broadcast or published by the BBC'. The BBC denied this was a gagging clause, but the producers refused to sign it.
Metro
03-07-2025
- Health
- Metro
Top Gaza doctor killed in IDF strike as Channel 4 airs Gaza doctor documentary
As Channel 4 aired the 'Gaza: Doctors Under Attack' documentary that the BBC refused to broadcast last night, an Israeli airstrike killed one of the Strip's most senior doctors. Dr Marwan al-Sultan, a renowned cardiologist and director of Gaza's Indonesian Hospital, was killed in his apartment in Gaza City on the same day the film, presented by investigative reporter Ramita Navai, was shown. Dr Al-Sultan is the 70th healthcare worker to be killed by Israeli attacks in the last 50 days, according to the Palestinian medical organisation Healthcare Workers Watch. A relative of Dr al-Sultan's said several of his family members, including his wife, his daughters and his son-in-law, died alongside him. His death has been described as a 'catastrophic' loss to the besieged enclave's already decimated healthcare system. Dr Mohammed Abu Selmia, director of Gaza's al-Shifa hospital, said: 'We are in great shock and grief. He cannot be replaced.' The Israeli military said it had struck a 'key terrorist' from Hamas. They said they are 'reviewing' reports that 'uninvolved civilians' were harmed in the attack. 'Gaza: Doctors Under Attack' was first commissioned by the BBC, but was dropped after a previous documentary – 'Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone' – sparked an impartiality row. The documentary, which has been described as an 'unceasing timeline of horrors', was picked up by Channel 4 and Zeteo late in the day. The Guardian and other outlets have given it five stars. Since Israel launched its war on Gaza following the Hamas-led October 7 attacks on Israel, in which at least 1,195 Israelis and 79 foreign nationals were killed, doctors in the enclave have been treating patients without access to proper sanitation, medication, electricity or water. The Indonesian Hospital, which is the largest medical facility north of Gaza City, has been a critical lifeline since the start of the war. It was forced to close in January due to repeated Israeli bombardment. When accused of targeting hospitals and medical facilities, the IDF said they 'regret any harm to uninvolved individuals' and 'operate to mitigate harm to them as much as possible'. Under Article 18 of the Geneva Convention, civilian hospitals, ambulances and field hospitals 'may in no circumstances be the object of attack'. International law and the Geneva Convention also prohibit the deliberate harm of medical staff who are not engaged in combat. In April, the IDF fired on marked ambulances and a fire truck with emergency lights flashing. They later said their soldiers did not randomly attack any ambulances, insisting they fired on 'terrorists' approaching them in 'suspicious vehicles'. The only hospital fully operating in Gaza is Nasser Hospital, in the south of the Strip. The rest are either destroyed or operating at minimal capacity due to damage and the death of their staff. The Channel 4 documentary includes footage of doctors being detained. They claim they were tortured by the IDF, but the IDF has denied this. Medglobal, a medical NGO based in the US, says it believes more than 300 healthcare workers are in Israeli prisons. Since yesterday morning, Israeli attacks have killed 40 people across the Gaza Strip, according to the health ministry, with four children and seven women among the dead. Today, Amnesty International has said the controversial Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is being used to distribute aid in Gaza, is using starvation tactics against Palestinians to commit genocide. They condemned Israel and the GHF, which has taken over aid distribution in Gaza in place of a network led by the United Nations. In response, Israel's foreign ministry claimed that Amnesty – a British organisation – 'joined forces with Hamas' to 'adopt propaganda lies'. Photos and videos, along with official reports from Palestinian officials and witnesses, have shown Israeli forces opening fire at crowds of people near the sites. More Trending Agnes Callamard, Amnesty's secretary general, said: 'This devastating daily loss of life as desperate Palestinians try to collect aid is the consequence of their deliberate targeting by Israeli forces and the foreseeable consequence of irresponsible and lethal methods of distribution.' The IDF claims it has fired warning shots to control crowds and only fires at people it says are acting suspiciously. The Foreign Ministry and COGAT, the Israeli defence body in charge of coordinating aid to Gaza, said Israel has facilitated the entry of more than 3,000 aid trucks into the Gaza Strip since May 19. Israel has rejected genocide allegations against it as an antisemitic 'blood libel'. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: BBC Breakfast star warned by friend she was becoming too 'fame-obsessed' MORE: BBC takes action after admitting Bob Vylan was deemed 'high risk' before Glastonbury MORE: Musk says 'credit is due' to Trump despite president's threat to deport him
Scotsman
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Gaza: Doctors Under Attack: how to watch on Channel 4?
Gaza: Doctors Under Attack is set to be broadcast on Channel 4 📺 Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Gaza: Doctors Under Attack was originally commissioned by BBC. The broadcaster dropped it earlier this year. Channel 4 has now picked it up and is set to air it tonight (July 2). A documentary that was dropped by the BBC before it was broadcast is finally set to be shown on TV - after it was picked up by Channel 4. Gaza: Doctors Under Attack is described as a forensic investigation into Israeli military attacks on hospitals in Gaza. Originally commissioned by the Beeb, it was announced in June that the broadcaster would not be airing it after all. In a statement the BBC said that it risked 'creating a perception of partiality'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Channel 4 has now picked up the one-off documentary film and will be broadcasting it tonight (July 2). Here's all you need to know: What is Gaza: Doctors Under Attack about? A general view shows the damage in the area surrounding Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital in 2024 | AFP via Getty Images In the documentary, Ramita Navai investigates allegations of the targeting and abuse of doctors and healthcare workers in Gaza. Channel 4's preview adds: 'Every one of Gaza's 36 main hospitals has now been attacked or destroyed by Israel, with people forced to evacuate and healthcare workers reportedly killed, imprisoned and tortured.' The broadcaster adds that it has been fact-checked and complied to ensure it meets Channel 4 editorial standards and the Ofcom Broadcasting Code. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Louisa Compton, Channel 4 Head of News and Current Affairs and Specialist Factual and Sport, said: 'This is a meticulously reported and important film examining evidence which supports allegations of grave breaches of international law by Israeli forces that deserves to be widely seen and exemplifies Channel 4's commitment to brave and fearless journalism.' Basement Films added: 'This is the third film we have made about the assault on Gaza since October 7th at Basement Films, and whilst none of them have been easy this became by far the most difficult. 'As ever we owe everything to our Palestinian colleagues on the ground; over 200 of whom have been killed by Israel, and the doctors and medics who trusted us with their stories. We want to apologise to the contributors and team for the long delay, and thank Channel 4 for enabling it to be seen.' What time is Gaza: Doctors Under Attack on? The documentary is set to be aired by Channel 4 tonight in the UK. It is due to start at 10pm and will run for just over an hour, finishing at approximately 11.05pm. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Gaza: Doctors Under Attack will be broadcast on TV and will also be available on demand. It will be available to watch on the Channel 4 app - the platform formerly known as All4/ 4OD.
Scotsman
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Gaza: Doctors Under Attack: how to watch on Channel 4?
Gaza: Doctors Under Attack is set to be broadcast on Channel 4 📺 Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Gaza: Doctors Under Attack was originally commissioned by BBC. The broadcaster dropped it earlier this year. Channel 4 has now picked it up and is set to air it tonight (July 2). A documentary that was dropped by the BBC before it was broadcast is finally set to be shown on TV - after it was picked up by Channel 4. Gaza: Doctors Under Attack is described as a forensic investigation into Israeli military attacks on hospitals in Gaza. Originally commissioned by the Beeb, it was announced in June that the broadcaster would not be airing it after all. In a statement the BBC said that it risked 'creating a perception of partiality'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Channel 4 has now picked up the one-off documentary film and will be broadcasting it tonight (July 2). Here's all you need to know: What is Gaza: Doctors Under Attack about? A general view shows the damage in the area surrounding Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital in 2024 | AFP via Getty Images In the documentary, Ramita Navai investigates allegations of the targeting and abuse of doctors and healthcare workers in Gaza. Channel 4's preview adds: 'Every one of Gaza's 36 main hospitals has now been attacked or destroyed by Israel, with people forced to evacuate and healthcare workers reportedly killed, imprisoned and tortured.' The broadcaster adds that it has been fact-checked and complied to ensure it meets Channel 4 editorial standards and the Ofcom Broadcasting Code. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Louisa Compton, Channel 4 Head of News and Current Affairs and Specialist Factual and Sport, said: 'This is a meticulously reported and important film examining evidence which supports allegations of grave breaches of international law by Israeli forces that deserves to be widely seen and exemplifies Channel 4's commitment to brave and fearless journalism.' Basement Films added: 'This is the third film we have made about the assault on Gaza since October 7th at Basement Films, and whilst none of them have been easy this became by far the most difficult. 'As ever we owe everything to our Palestinian colleagues on the ground; over 200 of whom have been killed by Israel, and the doctors and medics who trusted us with their stories. We want to apologise to the contributors and team for the long delay, and thank Channel 4 for enabling it to be seen.' What time is Gaza: Doctors Under Attack on? The documentary is set to be aired by Channel 4 tonight in the UK. It is due to start at 10pm and will run for just over an hour, finishing at approximately 11.05pm. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Gaza: Doctors Under Attack will be broadcast on TV and will also be available on demand. It will be available to watch on the Channel 4 app - the platform formerly known as All4/ 4OD. If you love TV, check out our Screen Babble podcast to get the latest in TV and film.
BBC News
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
BBC pulls Gaza medics documentary due to impartiality concerns
The BBC says it has decided not to broadcast a documentary about doctors working in Gaza, due to impartiality concerns it has surrounding the Doctors Under Attack was commissioned by the BBC but produced by an independent production company. It was originally scheduled for broadcast in February, but has not yet aired on any BBC a statement, the BBC said it was "determined to report all aspects of the conflict in the Middle East impartially and fairly". BBC News has contacted production company Basement Films for comment. Its founder Ben de Pear said earlier this week the BBC had "utterly failed" and that journalists were "being stymied and silenced". The BBC said it was "transferring ownership of the film material to Basement Films".BBC News understands the decision to shelve the documentary was taken on Thursday, following public comments by De Pear at the Sheffield Documentary Festival, and another of the film's directors, journalist Ramita Navai, who appeared on Radio 4's Today programme discussing the war in Gaza.A different documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, was pulled from iPlayer earlier this year after it emerged its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official. Gaza: Doctors Under Attack - also known as Gaza: Medics Under Fire - is said to examine the experiences of Palestinian medics working during the war in film is directed by Karim Shah, Navai and De Pear, a former editor of Channel 4 News. In a statement on Friday, the BBC said it had commissioned the documentary over a year ago, but paused the film in April, "having made a decision that we could not broadcast the film while a review into a separate Gaza documentary was ongoing". "With both films coming from independent production companies, and both about Gaza, it was right to wait for any relevant findings – and put them into action – before broadcasting the film."However, we wanted the doctors' voices to be heard. Our aim was to find a way to air some of the material in our news programmes, in line with our impartiality standards, before the review was published."For some weeks, the BBC has been working with Basement Films to find a way to tell the stories of these doctors on our platforms."Yesterday [Thursday], it became apparent that we have reached the end of the road with these discussions. We have come to the conclusion that broadcasting this material risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC."The corporation added that, contrary to some reports, the documentary had "not undergone the BBC's final pre-broadcast sign-off processes", adding: "Any film broadcast will not be a BBC film."It continued: "We want to thank the doctors and contributors and we are sorry we could not tell their stories. The BBC will continue to cover events in Gaza impartially." Speaking at the Sheffield Documentary Festival on Thursday, before the decision was announced, De Pear specifically blamed director general Tim Davie for refusing to air the film."All the decisions about our film were not taken by journalists, they were taken by Tim Davie," he claimed while taking part in a panel, as reported by Broadcast."He is just a PR person. Tim Davie is taking editorial decisions which, frankly, he is not capable of making."He added: "The BBC's primary purpose is TV news and current affairs, and if it's failing on that it doesn't matter what drama it makes or sports it covers. It is failing as an institution. And if it's failing on that then it needs new management."Something needs to happen because they are making decisions from a PR defensive point of view rather than a journalistic one. If you make a decision on a journalistic basis you can defend it, but if you make it on a PR basis, you can't."In relation to the war, De Pear claimed staff at the BBC "are being forced to use language they don't recognise, they are not describing something as it clearly is [for fear of impartiality] and it's tragic".Responding to De Pear's comments, a BBC spokesperson said the BBC "totally reject[s] this characterisation of our coverage"."The BBC has continually produced powerful journalism about this conflict. Alongside breaking news and ongoing analysis, we have produced original investigations such as those into allegations of abuse of Palestinian prisoners and Israel's use of bunker buster bombs and in-depth documentaries including the award-winning Life and Death in Gaza, and Gaza 101." High-profile figures such as actress Susan Sarandon and presenter Gary Lineker have previously accused the corporation of censorship over the open letter, which was also signed by cultural figures such as Dame Harriet Walter, Miriam Margolyes, Maxine Peake, Juliet Stevenson and Mike Leigh, said: "This is not editorial caution. It's political suppression.""No news organisation should quietly decide behind closed doors whose stories are worth telling," it continued. "This important film should be seen by the public, and its contributors' bravery honoured."
