The British public broadcaster said the phrase to describe the Palestinian Islamist group behind the Oct. 7 attacks violates its editorial guidelines.
The BBC has ruled that one of its presenters violated editorial guidelines by calling Hamas a “terror group” during a June 15 broadcast.
British newspaper The Telegraph reported on Sept. 11 that the corporation’s executive complaints unit (ECU) ruled that it was wrong to use the phrase to describe the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Hamas is responsible for leading the Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border invasion of southern Israel and many other acts of violence against Israeli civilians over decades.
According to the ECU, the British public broadcaster does not brand organizations as “terror” or “terrorist” groups because of “due accuracy and impartiality” and instead reports that they are designated as such by third parties.