BBC pushes back against Twitter rumors

The BBC denies a rumor spreading on Twitter that it pulled a top reporter from Gaza under Israeli pressure for saying he saw no evidence of Hamas using human shields.

Bowen, BBC’s Middle East editor, had indeed written in the New Statesman that he had seen “no evidence” of Hamas using human shields in Gaza.

Bowen himself tweeted on Friday that he had left because he was on vacation. Jonathan Munro, BBC’s head of newsgathering, tweeted: “Nonsense that @BowenBBC left Gaza under Israeli pressure. After Syria, Iraq, Israel & Gaza he’s on holiday.”

No, the BBC did not pull Jeremy Bowen out of Gaza for 'defending Hamas'. This image is fake http://t.co/NDHHcFsDGS pic.twitter.com/PwjvZIf1zZ

— indy100 (@indy100) August 4, 2014