In recent weeks visitors to the BBC News website have seen repeated promotion of the notion of a “permanent ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas. For example:
“What we know about the Gaza ceasefire deal” Raffi Berg 2/2/25
“A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is under way after 15 months of war.
The deal aims to bring a permanent end to the fighting and free hostages held by Hamas in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.”
“Sixteen days after the start of stage one, negotiations will begin on the second stage, during which:
A permanent ceasefire will be established”
“Israel says Gaza ceasefire will end if Hamas does not free hostages by Saturday” David Gritten and Yolande Knell, 12/2/25
“Negotiations for the ceasefire deal’s second phase – which will see the 43 remaining hostages still in captivity released, a full Israeli troop withdrawal and a permanent ceasefire – have not yet begun.”
“Hamas says it will continue releasing Israeli hostages under Gaza deal” David Gritten, 13/2/25
“Negotiations for the ceasefire’s second phase – which should see the 43 remaining hostages released, a full Israeli withdrawal and a permanent ceasefire – have not yet begun.”
“Gaza ceasefire once again in doubt as first phase nears end” Sebastian Usher, 23/2/25
“It’s the latest big bump in the road that’s intended ultimately to lead to a permanent end to hostilities and the start of rebuilding Gaza.”
“Hamas has offered to release the remaining hostages due to be freed in the second phase in one go, but only if Israel pulls all its forces out of Gaza and there is a permanent end to the war.”
“Hamas says no Gaza ceasefire talks unless Israel releases prisoners” David Gritten, 24/2/25
“The ceasefire’s second phase should see the remaining hostages released, a full Israeli withdrawal and a permanent ceasefire.”
According to reports concerning the text of the agreement reached between Israel and Hamas on January 15, 2025, it does indeed include the term “permanent ceasefire”:
“The parties and the mediators’ objective is to achieve a final consensus to implement the May 27, 2024, agreement on the exchange of hostages and prisoners and return to a sustainable calm which would achieve a permanent ceasefire between the parties.”
However, as specified by the definition of its public purposes, the BBC is obliged to provide its audiences with “a range and depth of analysis and content not widely available from other United Kingdom news providers”. One would therefore have expected the BBC to inform its audiences of the reasons why the chances of a “permanent ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas are, at best, decidedly slim.
On the day that the agreement between Israel and Hamas was announced, the BBC News website published a report by David Gritten (now dated January 16th) titled “Gaza ceasefire deal reached by Israel and Hamas”.
As was noted here at the time, that report included statements from “Hamas’s chief negotiator and acting Gaza chief, Khalil al-Hayya” who, over two weeks earlier, had reportedly already been appointed leader of Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades. Gritten’s portrayal of al-Hayya’s statements failed to adequately inform BBC audiences of the content and significance of that speech. As reported by the Times of Israel:
“Hamas’s top negotiator in the ceasefire and hostage talks said despite suing for an end to the war, the group would continue to pursue Israel’s destruction, looking toward Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque as a “compass.”
“Our people will expel the occupation from our land and from Jerusalem at the earliest time possible,” said al-Hayya.
“Our enemy will never see a moment of weakness from us,” he added.”
On February 14th – thirty days after its initial publication – the BBC amended that report but did not add any information concerning the fact that the “chief negotiator” of that “permanent ceasefire” on behalf of Hamas actually intends to resume hostilities at his convenience.
In the days that followed the announcement of the agreement, additional Hamas leaders who, like al-Hayya have appeared in BBC content, made similar statements. As reported by MEMRI:
“Following the signing of the ceasefire agreement with Israel on January 17, 2025, many Hamas officials came out with boastful declarations of victory. Speaking mainly in the Qatari media, they bragged about the October 7 attack, and promised that the present war was just one station in the struggle against Israel and that Hamas would continue the jihad against it. […]
In statements to the London-based Qatari daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi, Hamas official Bassem Na’im likewise stressed that Hamas will continue the struggle against Israel: “We are at a decisive juncture in the struggle against the Zionist enemy. True, this juncture has exacted a very great and heavy price from our people, [a price it has been paying] for a century of struggle against the occupation. But these [past] 15 months have proved that our people insists on its right to freedom and independence, is willing to pay any price [for them] and believes in this war, the Al-Aqsa Flood war, and in the path to liberation.” […]
In statements to the Egyptian daily Al-Masri Al-Yawm, Na’im said: […] “this war is a first and important great step on the way to the liberation of Jerusalem and the return [of the Palestinian refugees to their homes inside Israel].”
Also on January 15th, the BBC News website published an article by the corporation’s international editor Jeremy Bowen headlined “Bowen: Long-overdue ceasefire may stop the killing but won’t end the conflict”. As was noted here at the time:
“The most notable part of Bowen’s article, however, is his refusal to explain the decidedly obvious statement made in its headline: “Long-overdue ceasefire may stop the killing but won’t end the conflict”. […] although the BBC’s international editor is already ‘explaining’ future rounds of conflict by citing “destruction and death” in the Gaza Strip (without of course mentioning that Israel disengaged from that territory twenty years ago), he has nothing whatsoever to tell the corporation’s audiences about the fanatical ideologies of Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups – including their aim to dismantle Israel – which is the real reason why the conflict continues.”
The BBC’s editorial policy of avoiding the issue of the long-term agenda of Hamas – and additional organisations that it can not even bring itself to accurately portray as terrorists – means that when the “permanent ceasefire” or “permanent end to hostilities” that the BBC is currently widely portraying as the aim of the current agreement turns out to have been less than permanent, audiences who have been consistently deprived of a “range and depth of analysis” will be in a poor position to understand why.
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