Throughout the month of September 2023, twenty-five 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)
One item, carried over from two months prior, related to a two-day counter-terrorism operation in Jenin in early July, coverage of which was discussed here, here, here and here:
BBC reports from inside Jenin refugee camp after Israeli assault Anna Foster & Jeremy Bowen (5/7/23 to 7/7/23 and 12/7/23 to 12/9/23)
Six items (two of which were carried over from the previous month) concerned terrorism, counter-terrorism operations or security issues:
Israeli soldier killed, Palestinian teen attack suspect shot dead amid violent surge Yolande Knell (31/8/23 to 4/9/23) discussed here
Palestinian fears grow amid rising Israeli settler attacks Yolande Knell (28/8/23 to 1/9/23 and 6/9/23 to 21/9/23) discussed here
Palestinian shot in back of head puts Israel’s use of force under scrutiny Tom Bateman (2/9/23 to 6/9/23) discussed here
Explosion near Gaza boundary wall kills five Palestinians Yolande Knell & Rushdi Abualouf (14/9/23 to 19/9/23) discussed here
Six Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in West Bank and Gaza Yolande Knell & Lucy Williamson (20/9/23 to 26/9/23) discussed here
Gaza-Israel tensions spiral amid closures and clashes Yolande Knell & Rushdi Abualouf (28/9/23 to 2/10/23) discussed here
One item related to the anniversary of the signing of the Oslo Accords:
Oslo Accords: 30 years of lost Palestinian hopes Yolande Knell (13/9/23 to 18/9/23 and 22/9/23 to present) discussed here
Three items related to speculations concerning normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia:
Palestinians set out terms for agreeing to historic Saudi-Israeli deal Tom Bateman (7/9/23 to 12/9/23) discussed here
Saudi Arabia getting closer to Israel normalisation deal, prince says Yolande Knell (21/9/23 to 26/9/23)
Landmark Saudi and Israeli trips as normalisation talks progress Yolande Knell (26/9/23 to 1/10/23)
One report carried over from July concerned events on the border between Israel and Lebanon:
Israel-Lebanon border tension raises fears of bloody escalation Tom Bateman (28/7/23 to 6/8/23 and 15/8/23 to 5/9/23) discussed here
One report was about a story from Iran:
Iran: Weightlifter Mostafa Rajai banned for photo with Israeli Sebastian Usher & Nadeem Shad (30/8/23 to 4/9/23)
One report concerned a story from Cyprus:
Israelis held in Cyprus over alleged rape David Gritten (4/9/23 to 6/9/23)
One item was about archaeology:
Dead Sea reveals four 1,900-year-old Roman swords in cave David Gritten (6/9/23 to 11/9/23)
One item concerned science:
Scientists grow whole model of human embryo, without sperm or egg James Gallagher (6/9/23 to 11/9/23)
Two items related to Palestinian affairs; one albeit in Lebanon:
Outrage over Abbas’s antisemitic speech on Jews and Holocaust Yolande Knell (7/9/23 to 12/9/23) discussed here
Ein el-Hilweh: Deadly clashes resume in Palestinian camp in Lebanon David Gritten (11/9/23 to 13/9/23)
Of seven reports concerning Israeli affairs, three (one of which was carried over from July) concerned protests against proposed changes to the judicial system:
Israel reforms: Water cannon and arrests at Jerusalem protests (24/7/23 in updates and then 26/7/23 to 19/9/23)
Israel Supreme Court showdown over controversial judicial reform Yolande Knell (12/9/23 to 14/9/23)
Israel judicial reform explained: What is the crisis about? Raffi Berg (11/9/23 to 28/9/23)
One item related to Israel’s prison service:
Israeli conscripts banned as guards after allegations of sex with Palestinian inmate Yolande Knell & Alex Binley (30/9/23 to 3/10/23)
Three reports concerned rioting by two factions of migrants:
Israel: Police clash with rioting Eritrean rivals Yolande Knell (2/9/23 to 3/9/23) discussed here
Israel: Netanyahu wants immediate deportation of Eritreans after Tel Aviv violence Yolande Knell (3/9/23 to 6/9/23) discussed here
Eritrean protesters clash with police in Tel Aviv appeared in updates 2/9/23 then in features 13/9/23 to 5/10/23)
BBC News website readers saw no new reporting on internal Palestinian affairs throughout September. Among the stories from PA and Hamas controlled areas that were ignored by the BBC were the resignation of the PA minister of education, the arrests of journalists and the head of a union by PA forces, a fire at a landfill in the Gaza Strip, the shooting of a member of the PA security forces by Palestinians, internal violence in Hebron, homophobia, tensions between Palestinian factions and allegations of misappropriation of donations to the Jenin refugee camp.
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SUMMARY OF BBC NEWS WEBSITE PORTRAYAL OF ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS – AUGUST 2023
