Complaint
A listener complained that Jeremy Bowen had no evidence to support a claim, in an interview with Khalil al-Hayya, deputy chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau, that women had been raped in attacks in Israel on 7 October 2023.Β The ECU considered the complaints in the light of the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔβs editorial standards of accuracy.
Outcome
Mr Bowen put it to Mr al-Hayya that evidence of sexual violence by Hamas on 7 October had been βpiling upβ.Β Noting the conclusion of a UN report published in 2023 that βThere are reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence β including rape and gang-rape β occurred across multiple locations of Israel and the Gaza periphery during the attacks on 7 October 2023β, the ECU found no basis for considering Mr Bowen lacked evidence for the terms of his question.
Not upheld