BBC News claims Hamas rule in Gaza ended 5 years ago

The BBC continues to mislead audience with regard to who rules the Gaza Strip.

As noted here some time ago, the BBC News website’s ‘Palestinian Territories’ profile and timeline both inaccurately claim that the Gaza Strip is under the control of a Palestinian unity government.

“The two PNA areas were then run by the separate factions – the West Bank by Fatah, and Gaza by Hamas – until a government of national unity assumed control of Gaza public institutions in October 2017.” [emphasis added]

“2017 October – Hamas lets the Ramallah-based unity government take over public institutions in Gaza as part of a reconciliation process between the two rival administrations.”

An article published on the BBC News website’s ‘Middle East’ page early on the morning of April 8th under the headline “Gaza zoo animals evacuated to Jordan by Four Paws group” gave an account which, while different to the above, promoted the same inaccurate claim that the Gaza Strip is under the control of the PA.

So if Hamas only ruled Gaza until 2014, how come the BBC’s ‘Palestinian territories’ profile claims (wrongly) that Hamas let a PA unity government take over control three years later? 

BBC Watch wrote to the BBC News website and also submitted a complaint requesting corrections to all three of those articles. In the meantime, the April 8th article has been amended and the previously inaccurate passage now reads as follows:

“Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank have been ruled separately since 2007, when deadly clashes broke between Hamas and the Fatah faction of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Hamas won parliamentary elections the previous year, and reinforced its power in Gaza after ousting Fatah from the enclave.”

Related Articles:

The BBC’s redundant ‘Palestinian unity government’ claim

BBC News ignores PA government resignation

BBC News reframes and politicises an animal welfare story

 

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