THE BBC reported on the planned release of a Palestinian without mentioning his links to a bombing that killed four people.
Reporters were interviewing families waiting for news of almost 2,000 prisoners being freed by Israel — and said they were welcomed as “heroes”.
Lucy Williamson reported on the planned release of a Palestinian without mentioning his links to a bombing that killed four people[/caption]
A clip on the BBC homepage featured the sister of Murad Muhammad Ridha Ahmad Abu al-Rub.
According to Israeli research group Palestinian Media Watch, Al-Rub was jailed over the 2006 Kedumim suicide bombing.
His sister, Aida, was introduced by BBC Middle East correspondent Lucy Williamson with the words: “Aida has waited 20 years for her brother Murad to be released from Israeli jail.”
Weeping, Aida said: “I don’t know what he looks like.”
Williamson then reported: “Dozens of prisoners emerged from Red Cross buses as fathers, brothers and sons — carried in as national heroes. But Murad wasn’t among them.”
The one-minute clip then cut to Aida sobbing: “They kidnapped my brother.”
Williamson concludes: “By comparing three different lists, we discovered Murad’s name, once slated for release, was yesterday moved to a list of deportees.”
The same clip was shared on the BBC TikTok page with the caption: “Families waited for detainees to be released in the occupied West Bank on Monday, as part of the Gaza ceasefire.
“We met Aida Abu Rob waiting for her brother Murad, sentenced to four life sentences in 2006.”
Last night the BBC said: “It was made clear the prisoner had been serving four life sentences.”
About 250 of those released by Israel in exchange for remaining Gaza hostages were serving life sentences.
They included Ahmed Mahmed Jameel Shahada, who raped and killed a boy of 13 in 1989.
A clip on the BBC homepage featured the sister of terrorist Murad Muhammad Ridha Ahmad Abu al-Rub[/caption]
