BBC Censures Itself For Calling Hamas A "Terror Group"

The BBC has said that its rolling news channel broke editorial rules after a presenter described Hamas as a “terror group.”

The BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) ruled that it was wrong of the unnamed presenter to use the phrase during a broadcast on June 15.

Published on Thursday, the ruling will likely re-ignite an impassioned debate about how the UK national broadcaster characterizes Hamas.

Since the atrocities of October 7 in Israel, during which around 1,200 people were killed by Hamas militants, the BBC has steadfastly refused to call the group “terrorists.”

The BBC’s editorial guidelines state: “The term ‘terrorist’ should only be used with attribution, ie when quoting or citing its use by others”.

Instead, BBC presenters often describe Hamas as being “designated as a t