BBC Gaza documentary draws criticism for selective reporting on aid theft claims

The BBC’s latest Panorama investigation, Gaza: Dying for Food, has been accused of misrepresenting Israeli claims about Hamas diverting humanitarian aid, after relying heavily on UN assurances that no systemic theft has taken place.

The program, which was unable to film inside Gaza itself and instead relied on local Palestinian filmmakers, cited an August report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) that alleged famine conditions, a finding Israel has dismissed as “an outright lie”.

At around the seven-minute mark, Panorama reported: “Israel claimed the existing UN aid system was ineffective, allowing Hamas to steal food. The UN denies that, insisting its shipments are monitored and traceable. Israel, it says, has not provided evidence of systemic theft.”

Yet the UN’s own logistics site records dozens of aid convoys being intercepted or stolen in recent months, undermining its blanket denial. The UN's own UNICEF and wider Israeli and international outlets have separately documented widespread looting and diversion of supplies by armed groups including Hamas. The Israel Defense Forces last week published what it said were internal Hamas documents ordering the confiscation of aid “as a matter of policy”.

Despite this, Panorama offered no discussion of the UN’s contradictory public statements or the growing body of evidence that aid theft is widespread, instead presenting Israel’s claim as unsubstantiated.

Viewers were told by UN human rights chief Volker Türk that there is “clear evidence” civilians were unlawfully killed while seeking aid, and veteran BBC correspondent Jeremy Bowen speculated that evacuation orders may align with “real-estate opportunities” sought by Israeli right-wing politicians.

The programme referenced genocide allegations against Israel but failed to clarify that these remain under consideration at the International Court of Justice, not the International Criminal Court – a distinction often blurred in media coverage.

By leaning so heavily on UN denials and Palestinian-sourced footage, while downplaying evidence of aid diversion and mischaracterising international legal processes, Panorama risks fuelling accusations that it is framing the conflict through a one-sided, emotive lens rather than presenting the full picture.