The BBC is facing renewed criticism over its reporting of journalists killed in Gaza after an investigation identified dozens of people on a BBC casualty list who have been linked by Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad or other sources to militant groups.

The BBC has reported the deaths of 53 people as journalists in Gaza who have subsequently been claimed as members, fighters or “martyrs” by militant organisations, according to The Telegraph.

Some of those named were reportedly involved in the October 7, 2023 attacks or have appeared in photographs and videos wearing military clothing and carrying weapons.

The majority of the cases appeared on BBC Arabic, which has previously faced criticism over allegations of bias in its coverage of Israel and the Gaza war. The BBC said at the time that it would introduce reforms to address concerns raised about the service.

The broadcaster has now told The Telegraph that it is reviewing the inclusion of the individuals in its reporting following an update by the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ.

BBC Arabic began publishing and updating a list of journalists killed during the Gaza conflict after the war began. The list includes more than 180 Palestinians as well as four Israelis.

According to the report, 53 people on the BBC list have alleged or documented links to militant organisations. Ten were described as journalists by the BBC’s English-language website or by both BBC News and BBC Arabic, while the remaining 43 appeared only on BBC Arabic.

Twelve of the individuals were later removed from the CPJ’s database after the organisation determined that they were either not journalists or media workers or had participated in combat.

One example cited in the report is Abdullah Darwish, whom BBC Arabic described as a cameraman for Al-Aqsa TV. The CPJ later removed him from its list after information emerged that he had participated in the October 7 attacks as a member of Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades. He was killed in an Israeli airstrike in December 2023.

Another case involved Yaqoub Al-Barsh, who was described by BBC Arabic as the executive director of Namaa radio. He was later identified as a member of the Al-Qassam Brigades and appeared on the group’s online “martyrs” page, according to the report.

Rizq Abu Shakian, identified by the BBC as a journalist for Palestine Now, was also featured in online footage wearing Hamas military clothing and carrying a rifle.

The report identified another group of 20 people whose deaths were included on the BBC’s journalists list despite obituaries or commemorations by militant organisations. They included individuals described by Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad as commanders, members or martyrs.

A further 21 people were identified through online photographs and posts showing them carrying weapons or wearing military fatigues. One of those cited was Ahmed Samir Muhammad Washah, who was reportedly photographed training with a grenade launcher.

The findings have prompted renewed criticism from British politicians and former BBC executives.

Former BBC television director Danny Cohen accused the broadcaster of failing to meet standards of balance and accuracy in its reporting of Israel. Rebecca Paul, the shadow culture secretary, described the latest disclosures as part of a broader problem involving impartiality and accountability at BBC Arabic.

The BBC has previously faced criticism over its coverage of the Gaza war. The broadcaster was accused of giving undue weight to Hamas statements and of failing to adequately distinguish between claims made by the group and independently verified information.

The BBC also faced controversy over a 2024 documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone. The broadcaster later acknowledged that the program’s narrator was the son of a Hamas official. Ofcom subsequently found the documentary to be materially misleading and ordered the BBC to broadcast a statement outlining its findings.

The BBC has rejected suggestions that its journalists list was intended to endorse the political affiliations of those included.

A BBC spokesman said the report was last updated in August 2025 and covered journalists killed during the conflict in Gaza, Lebanon and Israel, regardless of their media organisations’ political affiliations.

The spokesman added that the article was based on information available when it was published and that the BBC was reviewing the people included following the CPJ’s June 2026 update.

The review is expected to determine whether changes are needed to the BBC’s reporting and casualty list.

SOURCE: The Telegraph, Gordon Rayner, September 26, 2026; citing BBC, Committee to Protect Journalists and statements from British politicians and former BBC executives.