The BBC has come under fire after failing to publicly correct a false claim about Palestinian journalist Anas al-Sharif, who was killed in an Israeli strike on Gaza in August. An internal notice circulated by the broadcaster’s Global News division acknowledged that a report alleging al-Sharif’s ties to a Hamas media team was inaccurate. Yet no public clarification was issued, leaving the error unchallenged in the official record.
Al-Sharif, a respected Al Jazeera correspondent, was assassinated on 10 August in a targeted attack that also killed fellow journalists Mohammed Qreiqeh, Mohammed Noufal, and Ibrahim Zaher, as well as freelancers Moamen Aliwa and Mohammed al-Khaldi. All six were reporting on the war in Gaza when they were killed, their deaths adding to the growing toll of media workers silenced on the frontline.
Press freedom advocates say the BBC’s failure to correct the record reinforces disinformation and undermines accountability. Rights groups warn that such lapses allow distorted narratives to persist, eroding trust in international media and contributing to the wider silencing of Palestinian voices at a moment when their testimony is most urgently needed.