BBC apologises for Jeremy Bowen filming in family home without permission for October 7 report

At the time many of the family’s friends and relatives still did not know whether they had survived.

After the broadcaster and the family’s legal team reached an agreement BBC News Middle East bureau chief Joaquin Floto wrote to them in Hebrew to apologise, describing the incident as a “good-faith mistake”.

Tzeela Horenstein compared the BBC crew’s intrusion to the terror attack.

She told Jewish News: “Not only did terrorists break into our home and try to murder us, but then the BBC crew entered again, this time with a camera as a weapon, without permission or consent.

“It was another intrusion into our lives. We felt that everything that was still under our control had been taken from us.”

She recalled how on the morning of October 7 the family home became “like a battleground”.

She said: “At 6:29, Hamas terrorists infiltrated Netiv HaAsara. After murdering our neighbours, they came for us."

She described how her husband Simon survived a grenade being thrown at him before he found safety in their shelter. They remained inside with their two young children, struggling to stop terrorists opening the door. An explosive device intended to open it instead left it "twisted and jammed", saving them from the gunmen entering.

Tzeela said: “The house was destroyed and declared uninhabitable. We have no home. Only the shelter remained standing.”

Horenstein said the family eventually escaped by crawling out through a window and running barefoot to their car, which was itself hit by gunfire.

She said she discovered the BBC report by chance adding: “Even in times of war there are limits, and when a media outlet crosses them, it must be held responsible.”

It is not the first time Bowen’s coverage has come in for criticism from members of the Jewish community.

In June the Board of Deputies wrote to the BBC condemning an analysis piece he wrote regarding Israel’s alleged “war crimes” in Gaza.

But in July the BBC confirmed to the JC that it was standing by his claim there was “clear evidence” that Israel has committed war crimes.

In September 2024 the JC revealed that Bowen claimed terror organisation Hamas is a “good” source of information on Gaza casualty figures during a closed-doors “masterclass” on reporting war impartially.

Ori Eldar, the lawyer who represented the family, said the case should not be separated from broader criticism of the BBC in Israel.

He said: “It is impossible to ignore... the widespread feeling in Israel that the network is biased and does not reflect the full picture.

“The BBC is not just a media outlet – it is a British public institution. Its level of responsibility, in my opinion, is higher than that of any other media organisation.”

In his letter to the family, according to Jewish News, BBC bureau chief Floto said: “We wish to express our understanding of the distress you had following the filming of your home after the 7 October attack. We are of course sorry for this.

“Our entry into your home resulted from a good-faith mistake, as we believed consent had been given… The BBC had no intention to harm you or cause you discomfort.”

As part of the settlement, the family also received reported compensation of NIS 120,000 (£28,000).

A BBC spokesperson told the JC: “While we do not generally comment on specific legal issues, we are pleased to have reached an agreement in this case.”