BBC Coverage of Gaza War Found Systematically Biased Against Palestinians

June 16, 2025 – Palestine/Israel – 

A comprehensive year-long study by the Centre for Media Monitoring (CfMM) has revealed significant and systematic bias in BBC News’ coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza. The analysis, based on over 3,800 articles and 32,000 broadcast segments from October 2023 to October 2024, found stark disparities in how Israeli and Palestinian deaths, narratives, and suffering were represented.

One of the most striking findings is that BBC coverage gave 33 times more attention to each Israeli death compared to each Palestinian death. While the Palestinian civilian death toll soared into the tens of thousands, especially during Israel’s intense bombardments of Gaza, the BBC disproportionately emphasized Israeli casualties, often with detailed personal stories and emotionally charged language.

The report also found that BBC News frequently used words like “massacre,” “slaughter,” and “atrocity” when describing Israeli deaths, while Palestinian casualties were largely reported in a detached, clinical tone. This imbalance in emotional framing contributes to a portrayal of Israelis as victims and Palestinians as abstract statistics.

In addition, the study compared the BBC’s treatment of war crimes in Gaza versus Ukraine. It found that allegations of Russian war crimes were discussed far more frequently and with less deference to state justifications than similar allegations against Israel. For example, while 75% of BBC coverage included Israeli government justifications for military action, only 17% of Russian justifications were presented when reporting on Ukraine.

Another disturbing revelation was the minimal attention given to the killings of journalists in Gaza, the deadliest conflict for media workers in recent history. Despite the deaths of over 230 journalists in Gaza, BBC reports mentioned this only 6% of the time, compared to 62% in coverage of Ukraine.

The CfMM concluded that this imbalance undermines the BBC’s commitment to impartiality and distorts public understanding of the Gaza conflict. The findings add to growing concern over Western media bias, suggesting that Palestinian suffering is routinely marginalized, and state narratives—especially Israeli—are prioritized without adequate scrutiny.

Reference – 

BBC Gives Israeli Deaths 33 Times More Coverage, New Study Reveals

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/bbc-coverage-israels-war-gaza-systematically-biased-against-palestinians

https://www.newarab.com/news/bbc-gave-israeli-deaths-33-times-more-coverage-palestinian