The spokesperson said one of the core questions was around “the family connections of the young boy who is the narrator of the film” and added that the production company “was asked in writing a number of times by the BBC about any potential connections he and his family might have with Hamas”.
“Although the programme was made by an independent production company, who were commissioned to deliver a fully compliant documentary, the BBC has ultimate editorial responsibility for this programme as broadcast.”.
After the discovery about Abdullah Al-Yazouri, who speaks about life in the territory amid the war between Israel and Hamas, the BBC added a disclaimer to the programme, and later removed it from its online catch-up service saying it had no plans to broadcast the programme again.
In a statement Ms Nandy, who will meet with Dr Samir Shah today, said: “The BBC has acknowledged serious failings by them and the production company Hoyo Films.
They said that “since transmission, they have acknowledged that they knew that the boy’s father was a deputy agriculture minister in the Hamas government” and also acknowledged “they never told the BBC this fact”.
