A documentary examining the destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system during Israel’s genocidal war on the territory has won a Bafta TV Award months after it was reportedly shelved by the BBC, reigniting debate over media coverage of Palestinian suffering.

The film, Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, follows Palestinian medical workers operating under relentless bombardment while hospitals faced repeated strikes, shortages and collapsing infrastructure. Although originally commissioned by the BBC, the broadcaster declined to air the documentary before it was eventually shown by Channel 4.

During the award acceptance speech, executive producer Ben De Pear publicly criticised the BBC’s decision, questioning whether the broadcaster would also distance itself from the Bafta ceremony after refusing to broadcast the film. The BBC had argued that airing the documentary could create concerns over perceived impartiality.

Journalist Ramita Navai told the audience that Gaza’s hospitals and medical personnel had come under sustained Israeli attacks throughout the genocidal war, citing the deaths of more than 1,700 Palestinian healthcare workers and the detention of hundreds more. She said the evidence presented in the documentary reflected material gathered through reporting commissioned by the broadcaster itself.

The episode has intensified criticism from journalists, media observers and solidarity groups who argue that Palestinian voices and documentation from Gaza have too often been marginalised within Western coverage of the war, despite mounting allegations of war crimes and genocide raised by international rights organisations and legal experts.