UK
BBC ‘stands by’ Jeremy Bowen over claim there is ‘clear evidence’ of Israeli ‘war crimes’
The corporation seemed to suggest that the assertion, which was provided without attribution, was a ‘professional judgement’
July 25, 2025 11:01
The corporation seemed to suggest that the assertion, which was provided without attribution, was a ‘professional judgement’
July 25, 2025 11:01The BBC has confirmed to the JC that it “stands by” International Editor Jeremy Bowen after he claimed that there was “clear evidence” that Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza.
Bowen made the comment in a piece published on July 22 entitled “Israel's allies see evidence of war crimes in Gaza mounting up”.
It should be noted that none of Israel’s allies have publicly accused it of war crimes, though some have suggested the Jewish State is not complying with its obligations under international law.
In the body of the article, Bowen wrote: “This has been a hard war for journalists to report….But key facts are clear.
"Hamas committed a series of war crimes in the attacks it launched on 7 October, killing 1,200 people, mainly Israeli civilians. Hamas took 251 hostages, of which perhaps 20 who are still being held inside Gaza are believed to be alive.
“And there is clear evidence that Israel has committed a series of war crimes since then.
“Israel's list includes the starvation of Gaza's civilians, the failure to protect them during military operations in which Israeli forces killed tens of thousands of innocents, and the wanton destruction of entire towns in a manner that is not proportionate to the military risk Israel faces.”
No claims of war crimes have been proven in any domestic or international court and all such allegations have been denied by Israel, which has produced its own evidence of efforts to minimise civilian casualties and distribute sufficient humanitarian aid.
Bowen did not provide further evidence for his claim, nor was the contention that evidence of such crimes is “clear” attributed to a third-party.
The JC asked the BBC whether this passage violated its Editorial Guidelines, which prohibit the use of “loaded language” conveying bias and state that “audiences should not be able to tell from BBC output – or anywhere else – the personal opinions of its journalists or presenters in news and current affairs”.
In response, a BBC spokesperson said: “We stand by the journalism in this article.”
In their response, they also sent a segment of the Editorial Guidelines, highlighting a passage which said: “They [presenters] may provide professional judgements, rooted in evidence and professional experience.”
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