Throughout the month of June 2023, twenty-nine written or filmed reports relating to Israel and/or the Palestinians appeared on the BBC News website’s ‘Middle East’ page, some of which were also published on other pages and six of which were carried over from the previous month.
(dates in brackets indicate the time period – Israel time – during which the item was available on the ‘Middle East’ page)
Ten items (one of which was carried over from April) concerned terrorism or counter-terrorism operations:
Songs of grief at funeral for sisters killed in occupied West Bank (9/4/23 to 9/6/23)
Three Israeli soldiers killed near Egypt border Yolande Knell (3/6/23 to 8/6/23) discussed here
Israel returns body of Egyptian policeman who killed Israeli soldiers David Gritten (5/6/23 to 9/6/23) discussed here
Palestinian toddler shot by Israeli soldiers dies Yolande Knell (5/6/23 to 11/6/23) discussed here
Israeli troops will not face criminal charges over Palestinian-American’s death Yolande Knell (14/6/23 to 19/6/23)
Anger at Israeli army probe into fatal shooting of Palestinian toddler Yolande Knell (15/6/23 to 21/6/23)
Six Palestinians killed in Israeli military raid in Jenin Tom Bateman (19/6/23 to 22/6/23) discussed here
Four Israelis killed by Palestinian gunmen near West Bank settlement David Gritten (20/6/23 to 27/6/23) discussed here
Palestinian killed as Israeli settlers attack town after deadly shooting Tom Bateman (21/6/23 to 27/6/23)
Rare Israeli drone strike kills Palestinian militants in West Bank David Gritten (22/6/23 to 28/6/23) discussed here
Two reports (one of which was carried over from the previous month) related to Operation Shield and Arrow in May:
Israel-Gaza: Palestinian family left homeless after strikes Tom Bateman (17/5/23 to 22/5/23 and 25/5/23 to 5/6/23) discussed here
Amnesty: Possible war crimes in recent Israel-Gaza fighting David Gritten (13/6/23 to 19/6/23) discussed here
One report concerned a planned attack against Israelis abroad:
Israel’s Mossad says it abducted hitman from inside Iran Yolande Knell (30/6/23 to 4/7/23) discussed here
Four reports (half of which were carried over from the previous month) were about events that happened in other countries:
Italy: Agents die when boat capsizes on Lake Maggiore (30/5/23 to 1/6/23)
Five members of Palestinian militant group killed in Lebanon blast David Gritten (31/5/23 to 4/6/23) discussed here
Lake Maggiore boat accident: Questions remain over spy deaths Sofia Bettiza, appeared in ‘updates’ 3/6/23 then moved to features (6/6/23 to 27/6/23)
Israel and Palestinians: Factory attack political protesters jailed (27/6/23 to 28/6/23) discussed here
One report concerned Archaeology:
Tiny 12,000-year-old bird bone flutes found in Israel Raffi Berg (9/6/23 to 13/6/23)
One report concerned business:
Ryanair apologises for ‘Tel Aviv in Palestine’ flight row (16/6/23 to 20/6/23)
One item related to Palestinian affairs:
‘As Palestinian youths, the political process has failed us’ Yousef Eldin (13/6/23 to 19/6/23 and 20/6/23 to 5/7/23) discussed here and here
Of nine reports concerning Israeli affairs, two (one of which was carried over from previous month) concerned the government’s proposed changes to the judicial system:
Israel protests: Drone footage shows thousands in Tel Aviv (28/5/23 to 1/6/23 and 10/6/23 to 4/7/23)
Netanyahu drops key part of Israel judicial overhaul plans Yolande Knell (29/6/23 to 3/7/23)
One item carried over from April related to events in Jerusalem during holidays:
Violence and fireworks inside Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque (5/4/23 to 9/6/23)
One item concerned the Jerusalem pride march:
Itamar Ben-Gvir: Israel minister jeered as thousands attend Jerusalem Pride march Tom Bateman (1/6/23 to 6/6/23) discussed here
One report related to crime:
Five men killed in crime-related shooting in Israeli Arab town Yolande Knell (8/6/23 to 14/6/23) discussed here
One report concerned a property transaction:
Controversial land sale puts Jerusalem Armenians on edge Yolande Knell (20/6/23 to 26/6/23 and 28/6/23 to present) discussed here
One item concerned legal issues:
Hollywood producer testifies at Netanyahu corruption trial Yolande Knell (27/6/23 to 1/7/23)
One item related to changes in the planning process:
West Bank: US ‘troubled’ by Israeli settlement expansion plans Yolande Knell (27/6/23 to 30/6/23) discussed here
One item concerned the death of a victim of Palestinian terrorism:
Jerusalem Sbarro pizza bombing victim dies after 22 years in coma Raffi Berg (1/6/23 to 5/6/23)
As usual, the BBC under-reported internal Palestinian affairs with the one item that appeared in June being only the second since the beginning of the year. Among the stories from PA and Hamas controlled areas that were ignored by the BBC during June were the interrogation of anti-corruption activists, the detention of a member of the Bir Zeit university student council, clashes relating to a land dispute in the Gaza Strip and the 16th anniversary of Hamas’ coup.
Related Articles:
SUMMARY OF BBC NEWS WEBSITE PORTRAYAL OF ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS – MAY 2023
