Documental. 'Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone'. Yousef Hammash Yousef, Jamie Roberts, Jamie Roberts Amjad Al Fayoumi and Ibrahim Abu Ishaiba ENG ESP

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BBC: Article removed: 'We followed lives of three children surviving war in Gaza. Here's what we found' Update 21 February 2025: Since the transmission of this documentary, the BBC has become aware that the father of the film's narrator, a child called Abdullah, has worked as a deputy agriculture minister for the Hamas-run government in Gaza.  The film features important stories we think should be told - those of the experiences of children in Gaza.

The BBC has removed a film on Gaza which featured the child of a Hamas official from iPlayer while the broadcaster carries out “further due diligence with the production company”.

We told how the corporation issued a statement earlier this week after it was criticised for broadcasting the film Gaza: How To Survive A War Zone, which aired on Monday on BBC Two.

The film features Abdullah Al-Yazouri (pictured below), a child narrator who speaks about what life is like in the territory amid the siege by Israel. 
When it emerged that Abdullah is the son of Ayman Alyazouri, Hamas’s deputy minister of agriculture, a group of people – including former BBC One controller Danny Cohen and producer Leo Pearlman – wrote to BBC director-general Tim Davie.

London-based Hoyo Films, which produced the documentary, has previously made BBC documentary Ukraine: Enemy In The Woods, which was filmed by Ukrainian soldiers amid the war with Russia.

On Friday, the BBC announced that it had removed the film from iPlayer while it carries out “further due diligence”.

In a statement on its clarifications and corrections page, the broadcaster said: “Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone features important stories we think should be told – those of the experiences of children in Gaza.

“There have been continuing questions raised about the programme and in the light of these, we are conducting further due diligence with the production company.

“The programme will not be available on iPlayer while this is taking place.” 
 The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians criticised concerns raised about the Hoyo Films documentary, and urged the BBC to “stand firm against these attempts to prevent first-hand accounts of life in Gaza from reaching audiences”.

A statement from the organisation also said: “For some, almost any Palestinian perspective appears to be deemed unacceptable.

“In this case, objections have been raised because Abdullah’s father holds a government role in Gaza’s Hamas-run administration. However, this does not negate the child’s lived experience or invalidate his testimony.” 

5 March 2025 Exclusive: Palestinian child in Gaza documentary row holds BBC responsible for fate Abdullah al-Yazuri, 13, told MEE he has faced harassment over his role narrating the film but that the BBC has not reached out to apologise

 

ESPAÑOL

BBC: Artículo eliminado: 'Seguimos las vidas de tres niños que sobrevivieron a la guerra en Gaza. Esto es lo que encontramos'  Actualización 21 de febrero 2025: Desde la transmisión de este documental, la BBC se ha enterado de que el padre del narrador de la película, un niño llamado Abdullah, ha trabajado como viceministro de agricultura para el gobierno dirigido por Hamás en Gaza. La película presenta historias importantes que creemos que deberían contarse: las de las experiencias de los niños en Gaza.

Zakaria tiene 11 años de edad, parece un adulto, valiente, leal e ingenioso, siempre un paso por delante de los adultos. 

De alguna manera, ha conseguido un trabajo no remunerado en el hospital Al-Aqsa, en el sur de Gaza; en el único hospital que todavía funciona. Cuando las ambulancias llegan a toda velocidad, cargadas de muertos y moribundos, es Zakaria quien ayuda a descargar las camillas y a llevarlas rápidamente a urgencias. Ya sea para ser útil o para molestar, siempre tiene un motivo oculto: necesita conseguir un lugar donde refugiarse todas las noches.  

Durante el genocidio en Palestina, que ha dejado más de 60 mil personas fallecidas, Zakaria dice que ha visto más de cinco mil muertos, puesto que su misión es la de transportar dentro del hospital "a los vivos, a los muertos y a los niños".  Mientras limpia una ambulancia con un conductor llamado Said, Zakaria anuncia que quiere formarse como paramédico.

 “Pero él, con apenas 11 años, ha visto cosas que un niño no debe de ver”, agrega Said, uno de los paramédicos.  

La historia del niño es una de las tres que aparecen en "Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone", un documental que despierta emociones contradictorias. Todos los niños que aparecen en él han sufrido experiencias terribles.