The BBC issued an apology following an erroneous report by a news anchor, possibly Monica Miller, who inaccurately conveyed a Reuters news story insinuating that the Israeli army was intentionally targeting medical staff. The BBC newsreader, stationed in Singapore, had misinterpreted the Reuters report, asserting that the Israeli military was “targeting people, including medical teams and Arab speakers” at Gaza’s Al Shifa hospital.
Contrary to the misreport, the Reuters article explicitly mentioned that the medical teams and Arabic speakers were integral parts of the Israeli Defense Forces dispatched to the hospital to provide assistance to patients and staff. An IDF spokesperson clarified to Reuters, stating, “Our medical teams and Arabic-speaking soldiers are on the ground to ensure that these supplies reach those in need.”
The BBC promptly rectified the error, issuing a correction on its website and airing an on-air apology delivered by another newsreader. The statement on the “Corrections and Clarifications” page acknowledged the misquotation from the Reuters report and admitted that the initial broadcast had fallen below the network’s usual editorial standards. The corrected version of events was broadcast shortly afterward, with a subsequent on-air apology later in the morning.
The Board of Deputies, representing mainstream British Jewry, expressed dismay at the on-air misreporting, characterizing it as a display of “staggering lack of care” when reporting on a highly volatile situation. The organization emphasized the potential global impact, citing a significant rise in antisemitic attacks in Britain since a specific date. It criticized such incidents for undermining the BBC’s proclaimed dedication to professionalism and impartiality.
Despite the criticism, the BBC did not respond to inquiries about potential internal repercussions for Monica Miller at the time of publication. This incident follows a recent acknowledgment by the BBC regarding another reporter, Jon Donnison, who was deemed “wrong” for speculating during coverage of a rocket attack on the Al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza. Donnison had initially suggested on air that the rocket was fired by Israel, a claim later disproven by Israeli and U.S. sources, revealing that it had misfired from Gaza, landing in the hospital car park.
