BBC pulls Gaza documentary after star revealed as son of Hamas official

The BBC has removed a documentary about the Gaza war from its online streaming service after it emerged that the child who is a central figure in the film is the son of a Hamas deputy minister, a fact that was at no time disclosed in the movie.

“Gaza: How To Survive a War Zone” is narrated by a 14-year-old boy named Abdullah Al-Yazouri. The Telegraph reported earlier this week that the teen’s father is Ayman Alyazouri, deputy minister of agriculture in the Strip’s Hamas-run government.

“‘Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone’ features important stories we think should be told — those of the experiences of children in Gaza,” the BBC says in a statement.

“There have been continuing questions raised about the program and in light of these, we are conducting further due diligence with the production company,” it says. “The program will not be available on iPlayer while this is taking place.”