Did the BBC pay Hamas?  Here's what we know

"Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone," aired on BBC Two on February 17, 2025, and focused on the lives of children in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas conflict. It was narrated by 13-year-old Abdullah Al-Yazouri, later revealed to be the son of Ayman Alyazouri, the deputy minister of agriculture in the Hamas-run government. The production involved two London-based producers, Jamie Roberts and Yousef Hammash, who remotely directed two local cameramen in Gaza, Amjad Al Fayoumi and Ibrahim Abu Ishaiba, over nine months.

The BBC paid the production company, likely Hoyo Films, for the documentary. The production company then paid the cameramen for their work. Controversy arose when it was claimed that Amjad Al Fayoumi posted content on Facebook supporting the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, suggesting possible ties to the organization. Additionally, critics questioned whether the BBC paid the family of Abdullah, given his father's role in the Hamas government, but no evidence confirms direct payment to the father or family.

Given the pervasive influence of Hamas in Gaza, where it controls the government, any payments to local individuals could indirectly benefit the organization. However, the BBC maintains it was not informed of these connections in advance and has conducted further due diligence, removing the documentary from iPlayer on February 21, 2025, amid backlash.

The BBC's standard practice involves contracting production companies, which then manage payments to contributors, including cameramen and potentially participants. For this documentary, the BBC paid Hoyo Films, which in turn compensated Al Fayoumi and Abu Ishaiba for their filming work. There is no public confirmation of direct payments to the documentary's participants, such as Abdullah or his family, though industry norms suggest participants might receive honorariums or reimbursements for their time and expenses, typically ranging from $200–$300 for interviews, as per general estimates.

The central controversy is whether these payments constituted indirect support for Hamas. Critics, including UK Culture Secretary Kemi Badenoch, have called for investigations into "the possibility of payment to Hamas officials," as noted in a letter to BBC chief Tim Davies today (Monday).

Political and Legal Context

In the UK, Hamas is proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000, making financial transactions with the organization or its members illegal. The pervasive influence of Hamas in Gaza, where it controls governance, complicates matters, as many local individuals may have indirect associations. The BBC's due diligence process, initiated after the controversy, aims to address these concerns, but initial checks failed to identify the narrator's family ties, leading to accusations of negligence.

Public and Official Response

The documentary's airing prompted formal complaints, including from Labour Against Antisemitism, which accused the BBC of promoting Hamas propaganda. Prominent figures, such as actress Tracy-Ann Oberman and former BBC controller Danny Cohen, called for investigations, while the BBC apologized and added a disclaimer to the iPlayer version, later removing it entirely for further checks. The culture secretary's intervention underscores the political sensitivity, especially given taxpayer funding via the license fee.

While the BBC did not pay Hamas directly, the payment to local cameramen and potential payments to participants in a Hamas-controlled region raise ethical and legal questions. Al Fayoumi's support for Hamas actions suggests that funds may have indirectly benefited individuals aligned with the organization, though not necessarily as official members. The lack of confirmation regarding payments to Ayman Alyazouri or his family leaves this aspect unresolved.

The Daily Mail, the BBC and The Telegraph contributed to this article.