The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), a British charity group, has faced delays in launching a major humanitarian appeal for Gaza. However, the BBC is holding back from broadcasting it although it aims to address the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza, The Guardian reported.

Reportedly, the British news channel is concerned that the appeal would not meet its criteria for a national appeal.

The BBC stated that it is "under review," while other UK broadcasters have agreed to air it. Insiders from the DEC, BBC, and various aid agencies cited by The Guardian have expressed frustration, accusing the broadcaster of hesitating due to fears of backlash from Zionists in light of the ongoing genocide in Gaza. 

The DEC, which consists of 15 major UK aid charities that have raised £2.2 billion from 77 appeals since its establishment in 1963, has clear criteria for launching appeals. The situation must meet three requirements: an urgent need for international aid, the ability to provide effective humanitarian assistance, and demonstrated public sympathy or the likelihood of support.

The BBC is reportedly focusing on the second criterion regarding the delivery of aid.

A spokesperson for the DEC stated, "The volatile situation in the region, as well as the complex issues around aid access, pose a huge challenge when reviewing our criteria for an appeal." The BBC has also emphasized that it is considering the appeal’s broadcast while adhering to its "impartiality" guidelines.

'Impartiality' for the win

UK mainstream media is under fire once again for its coverage of "Israel's" genocide on Gaza, sparking controversy for its journalistic biases that promote double standards through misinformation.

Last month, "Israel" killed two four-day-old newborn twins at their parents' apartment in central Gaza in an airstrike as their father went to collect their birth certificates. 

Western mainstream news outlets, including the BBC and Sky News, did not mention "Israeli strikes" in their headlines on their social media posts, prompting online users to ask "Killed by who?"

Hanif highlighted that many Western news outlets continue to refer to a fabricated story presented at the beginning of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, claiming Palestinian Resistance group Hamas "beheaded babies."

The media analyst emphasized that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to the debunked narrative in his address to the US Congress in July, which the BBC reported verbatim without providing context for readers that investigative journalists determined the story to be a fabrication. 

British media omitting information

Essentially, this occurrence is referred to as "the omission of information," another prominent phenomenon shaping British media's coverage of Gaza, especially in headlines when the occupation is the perpetrator.

"Often, we have seen this is not mentioned, whereas in the case with Ukraine and Russia, the Russians are clearly identified as the party which is doing the killing," Hanif noted, criticizing both the media and external parties, such as politicians, who defend Ukraine against Russian while failing to take a similar stance during the ongoing genocide.

"Many readers have noticed this double standard from some of the most reputable publishers and news outlets," Hanif said.

He also emphasized that the selective use of language is "a major problematic area," revealing the underlying biases of news outlets.

"The way Oct. 7 is described with emotive and alarming terms such as ‘brutal,’ ‘barbaric’ and ‘slaughter’ is in stark contrast with the murder of over 40,000 Gazans, which is sometimes little more than a footnote in mentions or described as ‘unfortunate,’" Hanif added.

The CfMM's Gaza 2023-24 report published in March revealed "significant biases in media coverage" within the UK concerning the Israeli occupation of Palestine, highlighting that British media depict Israelis as victims of attacks 11 times more than Palestinians.