The BBC has come under fire from MPs for its failure to label Hamas gunmen who invaded Israel as "terrorists".

Misrepresentation of facts

Politicians expressed their outrage at the publicly funded broadcaster's coverage, accusing it of distorting the truth.

"Militants" or "terrorists"?

During the recent conflict, Palestinian forces launched rocket attacks on Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Sderot. Meanwhile, Hamas gunmen infiltrated the Gaza border into Israel, killing civilians as they slept. However, the BBC chose to refer to these individuals as "militants" instead of "terrorists".

Outrage from MPs

Lord Eric Pickles, former Tory chairman, criticized the BBC's coverage, stating, "Hamas is a terrorist organization..." He further questioned the fairness and balance of the BBC's reporting, emphasizing the need for improvement.

Tory MPs Damien Moore and Andrew Percy echoed these sentiments, expressing their dismay at the BBC's bias in the conflict. Damien Moore argued that the Israeli retaliation was justified to protect its citizens, calling the actions by Hamas gunmen as "terrorism". Andrew Percy highlighted the BBC's attempt to create a moral equivalence between Hamas and the democratic state of Israel.

Challenges to BBC's reputation for impartiality

Such criticism raises concerns over the BBC's ability to provide unbiased coverage, with MPs citing this recent incident as just another example.

Seeking response from the BBC

SE on Sunday has reached out to the BBC for comment.