Gary Lineker says BBC ‘bowing to pressure from the top’ over Gaza documentary

WorldPolitics
4 Jul 2025 • 6:53 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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  • Gary Lineker criticised the BBC for pulling the documentary 'Gaza: Doctors Under Attack', stating the corporation is “bowing to pressure from the top”.
  • Lineker, who worked for the BBC for 28 years, expressed his devastation at the BBC's perceived decline in recent years, calling the film “one of the most important” he had seen.
  • The documentary examines allegations that Israeli forces have repeatedly targeted hospitals and healthcare workers during the Gaza conflict, a claim Israel denies.
  • Despite commissioning the film, the BBC pulled it over 'impartiality concerns', leading to an outcry from the public and 600 public figures. In a 20 June statement the BBC said “broadcasting this material risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards” of the BBC.
  • 'Gaza: Doctors Under Attack' eventually aired on Channel 4.

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