BBC News accused of double standards and Israel bias

One day after the BBC issued an apology for referring to Israeli captives in Gaza as ‘prisoners’ in its initial coverage of Saturday’s hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas, a news presenter appeared to justify Israel’s mass detention of Palestinians in an interview with the Palestinian Ambassador to the UK, Husam Zomlot. During the interview, Zomlot explained that a significant portion of Palestinians held in Israeli jails are detained without charge or trial, raising concerns about the BBC’s use of the term ‘prisoners’ in relation to them due to its negative implications. The BBC anchor, Martine Croxall, seemed to suggest Israel’s mass detention policies were ‘understandable’. The coverage has prompted observers to question the broadcaster’s consistency in its reporting, accusing it of Israel bias.